Lord Wang has been very upset for a month and has been suffering from low back pain. Is it true that he twisted to his waist and suffered from lumbar muscle strain?
I bought the activating collaterals oil wipe and plaster sticker myself. At first it was still useful, but it didn’t work long ago.
Finally, I went to the hospital for a lumbar examination and took a magnetic resonance film. The results showed that there was tumor metastasis in the lumbar spine.
Further systemic examination found a lump in the left lung, and the pathological results of puncture biopsy suggested lung cancer. The original lumbago that troubled Lord Wang turned out to be bone metastasis from lung cancer!
What is a tumor metastasis?
Tumor is the number one disease threatening human health. It is not terrible to get tumor, but the thorny problem is tumor metastasis.
Tumor metastasis refers to the process in which malignant tumor cells break away from their primary sites and reach different tissues and organs of the body through various ways to continue to proliferate and grow into tumors of the same nature.
For example, Lord Wang’s lung cancer is considered to be metastatic to lumbar spine through blood transmission, resulting in symptoms of bone metastasis of lung cancer. The original tumor is called [primary tumor], and the newly formed tumor is [metastatic tumor].
Tumor metastasis is a complex biological process, involving a variety of genes, cytokines, etc.
There are many factors leading to tumor metastasis. For example, the higher the malignant degree of tumor tissue, the earlier the metastasis will occur. Patients’ poor physical condition and low immune function will also increase the chance of tumor metastasis.
If the tumor metastases, it means that the tumor lesion has developed to an advanced stage, which is also one of the important reasons for the failure of tumor cure.
Among the newly diagnosed tumor patients in our country, 2/3 had metastasis when they first went to see a doctor.
Why does lung cancer run to lumbar spine?
The occurrence of tumor metastasis is not random, but usually occurs in specific organs. There are also differences in metastasis probability and metastasis time.
The mechanism of tumor metastasis is still unclear, which is related to the characteristics of tumor cells and the body’s defense function.
Among them, the famous is the [seed-soil] theory, which holds that tumor cells are like seeds, and they are usually selectively transferred to soil with microenvironment that is more suitable for them to take root, capture nutrition and grow and develop.
For example, lung cancer is easy to metastasize to liver, bone and brain, breast cancer is easy to metastasize to lung, bone and brain, colon cancer is easy to metastasize to lung and liver, prostate cancer is easy to metastasize to bone, while brain tumors rarely metastasize to other organs, while brain is the ideal [soil] for metastasis of other tumors.
Every gram of tumor tissue can release 3-4 million cancer cells into the blood every day. The fallen cancer cells flow throughout the body along with blood or lymph. Once the conditions are ripe, the scattered cancer cells will be planted in body tissues and organs like seeds and grow rapidly, destroying organ functions and eventually leading to the death of patients.
It is precisely because the tumor will metastasize that some patients come to see a doctor because the tumor metastasis site is uncomfortable before they come to see a doctor, thus finding the tumor. Just like this Wang Da Ye came to the hospital because of the early symptoms of bone metastasis, lumbago.
Pathways of tumor metastasis include:
1. Lymphatic metastasis
Lymphatic vessels refer to a part of the lymphatic system, which is similar in structure to blood vessels and is responsible for transporting milky lymph containing protein, fat and lymphocytes.
Tumor cells can be transferred to other parts along lymphatic vessels, especially tumors in stomach, pancreas, lung, breast, colon, nasopharynx and other parts.
Lymph node metastasis is the main metastasis mode of lymphoma. The clinical manifestations are mostly progressive enlargement of lymph nodes.
2. Blood metastasis
Tumor cells enter blood vessels and metastasize to other parts along the direction of blood flow. Most tumors can metastasize through this way.
3. Implant transfer
That is, cancer cells fall off from the primary site and are planted and disseminated on the surface of other organs. For example, peritoneal metastasis, ovarian metastasis (also known as Krukenberg tumor) and pelvic metastasis may occur in the advanced stage of gastric cancer.
Lord Wang’s lung cancer is bone metastasis, in addition to lung cancer is easy to transfer to brain, liver, kidney and adrenal glands and other organs. Clinically, it is more common to find a large bag under the skin to see a doctor, such as the obvious point is the neck, it is also possible to be the belly lower right bulge and so on.
Can tumor metastasis be prevented?
Although there are currently no targeted drugs to prevent tumor metastasis, the following measures can be used for early detection and treatment.
1. Regular medical examinations
Regular examination can not only detect metastatic tumors at an early stage, but also help to detect early tumors.
2. Carry out tumor screening, especially for high-risk groups
For example, for lung cancer, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Expert Group recommends that low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) be used for lung cancer screening in high-risk populations. Lung cancer screening is not recommended for individuals with moderate or low risk. Chest X-ray examination is not recommended for lung cancer screening.
3. Seek medical treatment in time
Don’t ignore the discomfort symptoms of the body, and don’t take it for granted to treat them yourself. We should go to regular medical institutions for diagnosis and treatment.
4. Regular follow-up
For patients after surgery, regular follow-up and reexamination shall be carried out according to the doctor’s advice.
5. Choose a healthy lifestyle
All cancer survivors are encouraged to adhere to a healthy lifestyle, pay attention to weight management, physical exercise and develop healthy eating habits.
Having cancer does not mean that one needs to be kept and unable to move. This understanding is incorrect.
Healthy lifestyles are associated with improved overall health and quality of life. For some cancers, healthy lifestyles are associated with reduced risk of tumor recurrence and mortality.
What if there is a transfer?
For tumor patients, Once the tumor has metastasis, it should actively cooperate with doctors, and individualized treatment is a wise choice. The treatment methods include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, palliative treatment, etc. With the application of targeted drugs in clinic, the development of transformative therapy and the progress of treatment technology, many patients with metastasis can still survive with tumor for a long time.
For patients who are not suitable for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgical treatment, palliative treatment and other methods can also relieve pain and improve the quality of life.
Palliative treatment is a treatment method for patients with advanced tumors, which can improve the quality of life and prolong the survival time of patients with advanced tumors. It can control pain and complications caused by tumors, and pay attention to psychological, social and mental problems. Palliative treatment is also suitable for patients with early tumors.
It is worth noting that only when one does not rush to the doctor, does one not believe in folk remedies, and does not go to informal medical institutions for treatment can one obtain standardized and effective treatment.
After Wang Da’s diagnosis of lung cancer, he further conducted gene tests. Combined with Wang Da’s physical condition, doctors advised him to take targeted drugs orally and use bone protective drugs. At present, the body is still hale and hearty.
Author: Shen Peng