Question
A 47-year-old female patient with cancer is feeling depressed. Why do cancer cells spread?
Answer
Malignant tumor cells spread from the primary site through lymphatic channels, blood vessels, or body cavities, and the process of growing specifically in other locations is called tumor metastasis. Cancer is the uncontrolled division of cells, and in order to divide, they require nutrients. Since the main blood vessels are located on one side of the basement membrane, cancer cells will form secondary new blood vessels to achieve this purpose. Therefore, metastasis is actually a strategy adopted by tumors to maintain their survival.