Everyone knows that cancer is a very dangerous disease, especially if it is diagnosed at a late stage. One of the varieties of this disease is metachronous cancer. But what does he represent? Metachronous cancer is one of the three forms of the so-called bilateral cancer of the glands or organs, which in the human body are located in pairs, for example, on the right and left sides of the same system, or tumors that have the same histological structure. Below you can learn more about this concept, the possible causes of the development of the disease, as well as the symptoms.
General Description
Speaking about what metachronous cancer is, one should pay attention to the fact that initially a neoplasm appears on some separate organ, and after a short time it also forms on the second organ, if there is a paired one. Secondary nodules of the disease are much smaller in size.compared to the primary one. Very often, metachronous cancer is diagnosed in the mammary glands, in the lungs, and also in the gastrointestinal tract. Also in practice there are cases of lymphoproliferative diseases.
What is the metachronous course of cancer, where does the disease come from?
We continue to consider the features of this oncological disease. What is multiple metachronous cancer? This is a form of oncology that has 2-6 primary tumor nodes. In this case, the primary neoplasm can form in one organ, and another tumor is formed in another organ. A third node may re-form on the first organ. There are many such combinations of primary-multiple metachronous cancer.
In general, this concept refers to the process during which both mammary glands are affected. However, there are often cases in practice when the second mammary gland is affected only a year after the tumor was diagnosed on the first one.
In the field of medicine, there have been various cases of primary multiple metachronous cancer. For example, patients had 6 different malignant processes that proceeded with unequal duration of remission. Among specialists, there is an assumption that such a situation begins to develop with the early detection of the initial focus and the use of predominantly palliative or sparing methods of therapy, that is, without excision of the tumor itself.
In addition, scientists conducted studies, thanks to which it was possible to reveal that the presence ofindividual indicators of enzyme activity provides an opportunity to identify risk groups. Neoplasms in primary metachronous cancer appear with a considerable interval. If this disease is detected at an early stage of development, and among the methods of therapy the most radical one is selected, then the survival prognosis is very favorable for a person.
Statistics suggests that in primary multiple metachronous cancer (according to ICD-10 its code is C97), most often the second tumor is formed within 5-10 years after the first. A huge role is also played by the duration of the interval between the appearance of these neoplasms. Scientists believe that if after 5 years of observation and under the condition that the patient feels normal, a new focus has formed, then there is a primary multiple metachronous cancer of the breast or another organ.
Reasons
What is the cause of this disease? The specific causes of the development of metachronous cancer have not yet been identified. Doctors are still carrying out research on the possibility of the influence of chemotherapy and radiation exposure. There are also arguments about the negative impact of preoperative treatment, while postoperative chemotherapy, as well as radiation, are not able to have such an effect.
Metachronous cancer of the breast or other organs may occur due to smoking, as this is a provoking factor in the development of any oncological processes. That is why, in order to prevent oncologists, patients are recommended to abandon this harmfulhabits.
In general, the cause of a primary multiple tumor is considered to be a genetic mutation that occurs due to some factors. In total, it is customary to distinguish three types of neoplasia:
- Tumours caused by a sudden somatic mutation.
- Neoplasms formed as a result of induced somatic mutation.
- Tumors that are the result of genetic mutations that are inherited.
Very often these types of mutations can be combined with each other, and their various combinations are also likely. The main causes of such mutations are:
- Living in adverse environmental conditions, for example, with strong smoke in the air, with a large amount of chemical waste in water bodies, etc.
- Hazardous work, for example, at a chemical plant, at a nuclear plant.
- Frequent x-ray examinations of the human body.
- Eating disorders, in particular the excessive consumption of genetically modified products, as well as convenience foods.
- Various therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- A number of different immunodeficiency diseases.
- Several endemic diseases.
- Incorrect functioning of the hormonal system.
Diagnostic Methods
The emergence of cancer must be taken seriously. Oncologists never rule out the possibility of multiple primary cancers. That is why they carry out additional diagnostic measures. For example, if a woman was diagnosed with cancer of the left or right breast, then doctors will regularly check the condition of the other. In addition, special attention is paid to the condition of the organs of the entire genitourinary system.
Those patients who suffer from oncological ailments should regularly visit the treating specialist, take the required tests and undergo the diagnostics prescribed by the specialist. As for diagnostic procedures, it is possible to determine an oncological disease using the following methods:
- Urine analysis.
- Regular blood donation.
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Computed tomography.
- X-ray.
In parallel with this, oral history taking also plays an important role. The oncologist asks the patient about the duration of symptoms, intense pain, possible reasons for the development of such symptoms, as well as a genetic predisposition to a number of diseases. The specialist must also learn information about the patient's daily life, the conditions of his work and the environmental conditions of the place where he lives. You should also ask the patient about the presence of immunodeficiency diseases and the state of the immune system.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis of malignant oncological diseases is still often made only at a late stage of the disease. In most cases, this is due to the fact that patientsvery late turn to a specialist for help. Sometimes the disease does not manifest itself in any way, so in the early stages a person almost does not feel any strong changes in his own body.
Only at a late stage, the patient begins to feel unwell, complains of soreness, as well as a sharp deterioration in the whole condition. Sometimes, in the presence of certain symptoms, patients do not turn to an oncologist, hoping that these signs will pass on their own soon. However, in this way they only complicate an already deplorable situation, and the disease begins to progress further.
Synchronous and metachronous
If two or more tumors were found in a patient, or the second tumor was diagnosed within six months after the first, then in this case we are talking about synchronous cancer. If, after diagnosis, the second and subsequent tumors appeared 6-12 months after the detection of the first, then this indicates a metachronous form of cancer. In addition, in one patient, multiple tumors can be diagnosed consecutively multiple times, sometimes after a synchronous combination. In this case, one speaks of synchronous-metachronous cancer or metachronous-synchronous.
Multiple primary tumors are also subdivided into the following varieties:
- Malignant multiple neoplasms that originated on the same organ.
- Malignant tumors that have appeared in symmetrical or paired organs, such as the mammary glands or kidneys.
- Malignanttumors of various organs without specific systematization.
- Combinations of systemic and solid malignancies.
- Combination of malignant neoplasms with benign ones.
Features of therapy
Therapy for multiple primary tumors should always be individualized, taking into account some factors, for example:
- The nature of the tumor.
- Localization of neoplasms.
- Age of the patient.
- Cancer stage.
- Intolerance to certain drugs.
Surgery
It should be noted that specialists resort to surgical intervention only in cases where other conservative methods of therapy are not able to bring positive dynamics, and also if the stage of the disease is so advanced that it is not possible to achieve a positive result using only conservative therapies.
Surgery refers to the removal of metastases and tumors. Surgical treatment of multiple tumors can be carried out simultaneously, that is, during the operation, all neoplasms and metastases are removed at once. Such therapy can also be carried out in stages, in this case, only a few interventions are performed to remove the neoplasm.
Therapeutic treatment
As for the strategy of the therapeutic course of therapy, it will largely depend on the patient's condition, because the main goalis the preservation of the organ. Synchronous and metachronous cancer can be cured with the help of medications that are aimed at the treatment of oncological diseases. These medications should be prescribed strictly individually, depending on the location of the tumor.
In addition, experts prescribe immunostimulating drugs and vitamin complexes to patients to boost immunity. At the same time, painkillers are also prescribed, including those on a narcotic basis.
Chemotherapy
In most cases, patients who suffer from cancer are prescribed chemotherapy. This procedure is a treatment with toxins or poisons that have a detrimental effect on existing malignant tumors.
Palliative care
It is customary to talk about this type of treatment only in cases where the removal of neoplasms did not lead to a positive result. With the help of this method, it is possible to reduce the pain symptoms of the disease, as well as provide psychological assistance to the patient and his family. The main goal of this type of therapy is to improve the quality of life of patients who suffer from fatal, severe, incurable diseases.
Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the patient should follow all the recommendations of specialists, take prescribed medications and vitamin complexes, strengthen the immune system, eat a balanced diet, spend more time in the fresh air. Also followspositively tune in to therapy.
