Can metastatic cancer be treated?
Yes. The National Cancer Institute says there are treatments for most types of metastatic cancer.
Often the goal is to control the cancer by stopping or slowing its growth. Some people live for years with metastatic cancer that is well controlled. Other treatments aim to improve quality of life by easing symptoms. That kind of care is called palliative care, and it can be given at any point during cancer treatment.
Which treatment a person may have depends on the type of primary cancer, meaning the one it started as. It also depends on where the cancer has spread, what treatments the person has had before, and their general health.
Even if a cancer can no longer be controlled, palliative care is always there to ease symptoms of cancer and side effects of treatment. Researchers also keep studying new ways to kill cancer cells or stop them growing. These include helping the immune system fight cancer, and targeting specific gene changes in tumors.
A health care team is the best source of information about treatment choices for a specific cancer, including clinical trials.
Want the full picture? Read our complete explanation: Metastatic Cancer: When Cancer Spreads
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