noun

metastasis

/məˈtæstəsɪs/ · say it: muh·TAS·tuh·sis

the spread of cancer to other parts of the body

In Medicine & Health

In more detail

1. (noun) the spread of a disease (especially cancer) from one part of the body to another

2. (noun) a group of cancerous cells that have spread to a new location in the body

Examples

1. The doctors were concerned about metastasis to her lungs.
2. They found a metastasis in the patient's liver.

How to use metastasis

Metastasis is primarily a medical and scientific term used in clinical contexts, pathology reports, and patient education materials. It describes both the process of cancer spreading and the resulting secondary tumors. The term carries significant clinical weight and is more precise and formal than the general term 'spread.'

Common phrases

distant metastasis
metastasis to the liver
prevent metastasis
risk of metastasis
metastatic cancer
metastatic disease

Synonyms

spread · dissemination · secondary growth · distant spread · migration

Word family

metastatic (adjective) · metastasize (verb) · metastasized (adjective)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse metastasis (the actual spread or secondary tumor) with metastatic (the adjective describing cancer that has spread), or use the singular form when plural is needed; the plural is 'metastases.'

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