My husbands cancer started on the bottom of his right foot(he had half his foot amputated) Cancer was diagnosed as rare Sarcoma. He got lumps on his back, armpit, groin, neck, in the lungs and had leisions on the brain. The cancer specialist said he had cancer in the lungs (not lung cancer)it just seems to land there and I just wondered why.
I am not a medic but this is my understanding. When you develop cancer it is named after the type of cell it grows in. Mine is renal clear cell or kidney cancer. The mutated cells that form the tumour can come free and travel through either the blood circulatory system or the lymphatic system. Depending on the type of cancer you have these cells have favourite places where they can "stick" and start to grow. I'm not sure why certain cancers like certain places but know that kidney cancer often develops in the lungs, bones and brain.
As these tumours develop the cells do so by dividing and multiplying and are therefore still the same type of cell as the primary tumour no matter where they are.
There are several people on the site with more than one type of cancer as they have more than one primary.
The fact that the cells are circulating through the system is why you can't simply cut out all the tumours and be cured once it has spread, there will be lots of these cells circulating in the body.
I have secondaries from my kidney cancer in my lungs. They are quite small but I don't know how many as they are described as numerous. I suspect that the lungs are a common site as that is where the blood is oxygenated so it has a lot of blood vessels present.
I'm afraid it's not very encouraging but if you are like me you prefer to understand what is happening. I hope that this has been helpful.
Hi BootsyD, I have just read your profile and wanted to say sorry for your loss. I see you’ve been posting in the bereaved group and I can imagine this has been a terrible whirlwind for you, and perhaps your understandably trying to make some sense of your loss. I think Gragon’s explanation is very good and that’s my understanding to. My primary cancer site was not found, its type was diagnosed by a biopsy on a lymph node that it had spread to.
I hope the bereaved group is helping, the professionals on the Macmillan support line 0808 808 0000 which is open 8am to 8pm, might also help with any questions you have or to just listen, as the members here will help with our experiences.
Thank you both for replying. Gragon, KTatHome was right, your explanation was expertly explained! I 'get' it better now. I just needed to know why such a lot of people seemed to get mets in their lungs.
