Like if you detect it early enough, I know you can remove it. But what is the point that it can’t just be removed, and why?
In: Biology
Removing the cancer totally as soon as it’s detected is typically the goal. The problem is when it is detected.
If early (like with screening for asymptomatic people) many times a surgery will completely remove the ball of cancerous cells and that person is good to go.
Some cancers, however, tend to both be more aggressive, don’t have reliable screening for all people, and don’t cause symptoms until they are quite advanced. For example, many types of lung cancer (especially small cell), or pancreatic cancer can be like this. Once the cancer has “evolved” and broken free from its initial mass (ie metastasized into lymph nodes or beyond), it is essentially impossible to surgically remove it all. There are tiny collections of tiny cells everywhere. This is when things like chemo and maybe radiation are attempted to control it, and depending on the cancer that will be more or less successful.
TLDR cancer is not all the same. There are more and less aggressive types, and the more aggressive the cancer the greater the odds that tiny cells are sprayed everywhere and can’t get got.
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