Lets say someone goes to the doctor: The doctor sees tumors in the lungs and in the liver. Why does the doctor know that its liver cancer that spread to the lungs and not lung cancer that spread to the liver?

Question

Lets say someone goes to the doctor: The doctor sees tumors in the lungs and in the liver. Why does the doctor know that its liver cancer that spread to the lungs and not lung cancer that spread to the liver?

In: 1592

Answer 1

Certain tumour cells are more likely to metastasize( move from one organ to another) than others. Some cells(like alveolar cells of lungs) have better chance of surviving in other organs because of their metabolic requirements. Hepatic ( liver) cells have specific conditions required for proliferation while alveolar cells have less specific requirements.

Secondly, if biopsy has been performed, looking at the tumour constituency, it can be determined where it originates from.