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Secondary neoplasms are rare diseases. They are neoplasms that appear some time after contracting the primary tumor. The development of secondary neoplasm is independent of the primary neoplastic disease. What is the diagnosis of secondary neoplasms and how are they treated?

Secondary neoplasmsdevelop at any time, but most often it is from several months to several years after the end of cancer treatment for the primary disease. However, each time the diagnosis is made by a histopathological examination performed by a pathologist on the basis of material collected from the secondary tumor.

The most frequently described secondary neoplasms include:

  • benign and malignant central nervous system tumors
  • leukemias
  • lymphiaki
  • skin cancer
  • sarcomas
  • malignant neoplasms of the thyroid gland
  • breast cancer

Secondary neoplasms: causes

The mechanism of the appearance of secondary neoplasms has not been well understood so far. It is certainly a multifactorial process for which they are responsible:

  • general condition of the patient
  • illnesses so far
  • genetic predisposition
  • primary cancer disease
  • level of advancement
  • what treatment was applied

It has been described that intensive and long-term radiotherapy and chemotherapy increase the risk of secondary neoplasms, especially after treatment of hematopoietic neoplasms. However, they are at the moment the best methods, along with surgery, to treat malignant neoplasms.

Therefore, if the attending physician has recommended such a method of treating the primary cancer, do not give up such treatment for fear of the occurrence of a secondary cancer.

Secondary neoplasms: differentiation

They should be first differentiated with neoplastic metastases or recurrences of the primary neoplasm.

Tumor metastasisis a tumor formed from cells of the primary malignant tumor, ie cancer. It is the result of cancer cells traveling through blood or lymph vessels to other tissues in the body.

Neoplastic metastases are most often located in the liver and lungs.

Treatment depends on the type of primary tumor and the diagnosis must be madeconfirmed by microscopic examination, i.e. histopathological examination, of material collected precisely from a metastatic tumor, with the use of biopsy, laparoscopic surgery or open method surgery.

Cancer recurrenceis a condition in which, after a period in which cancer cells are undetectable by currently available methods, whether after surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, these cells reappear in the patient's body.

Recurrences can be local, with malignant cells appearing where they originally appeared, or distant where the cancer appears elsewhere than the original.

Secondary neoplasms: diagnosis and symptoms

Detection of a secondary neoplasm is most often accidental. Patients suffering from malignant neoplasms are closely monitored after the end of treatment and they are followed-up at regular intervals.

Such neoplasms, due to their unpredictability in terms of origin and location, may have various symptoms or may remain asymptomatic for a long time.

Therefore, patients are advised to observe their body and well-being, and report disturbing symptoms to doctors, which can be verified.

Every patient for many years after the end of cancer treatment should visit the oncology clinic for checkups, where, depending on the type of cancer, the doctor orders periodic laboratory or imaging tests.

Based on them, it is able to determine whether a recurrence has occurred or whether a secondary neoplasm has appeared.

Then he will be able to carry out further diagnostics, which will allow him to make a diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.

Secondary neoplasms: treatment

Treatment of a secondary neoplasm depends, first, on the histopathological diagnosis and the stage of the disease.

The decision about the therapeutic process is also influenced by the general condition of the patient as well as the type of primary tumor and the treatment method that was applied at that time.

For this reason, a cancer patient should be under the control of a multidisciplinary team, which usually includes: oncologist, cancer surgeon, radiotherapist, radiologist and psychologist.

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Category:

Oncology