Stage and spread
Metastasis
Also written as Metastases, Metastatic, Mets, M1, Secondaries
What it means
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from where they first formed to another part of the body. The cells travel through blood or lymph and form a new tumour. The new tumour is the same type of cancer as the first one.
Why it matters
Whether cancer has spread (the M in TNM) is a major part of staging. Your oncologist uses it to choose treatment.
Ask your oncologist
"Where has the cancer spread, and how does that change the treatment goal?"
From NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: metastasis. Not medical advice: your oncologist decides.