Adenocarcinoma: Does It Spread Very Fast?

If your doctor tells you that you have adenocarcinoma, it means you have a type of cancer that starts in the glands that line the inside of one of your organs. Sometimes it’s called the “cancer of the cavities.”
Adenocarcinoma can happen in many places, like your colon, breasts, stomach, esophagus (food pipe), lungs, pancreas, or prostate.
Adenocarcinoma is very common for some kinds of cancers. For instance, 99% of prostate cancers, 85% of pancreatic cancers, and 40% of lung cancers are adenocaricnomas.
It’s natural to feel worried when you find out you have cancer, but remember that treatments can slow or stop the disease. You might need chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or surgery. You and your doctor will decide on the best approach, based on where your tumors are growing and how long you’ve had them.
Adenocarcinoma vs. carcinoma
Cancers are classified either by the type of tissues where the cancer comes from or by the part of the body where the cancer first shows up. A carcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the epithelial tissue. These are tissues that form the covering of all body surfaces as well as the lining of body cavities and hollow organs, and are the main tissue in glands. Most cancer cases (80-90%) are carcinomas.
Adenocarcinoma is one of the two main types of carcinoma, one where the cancer develops in an organ or gland. (The other main type, squamous cell carcinoma, occurs mostly occurs in the skin).
Your glands make fluids that your body needs to stay moist and work well. You get adenocarcinoma when cells in the glands that line your organs grow out of control. They may spread to other places and harm healthy tissue.
Adenocarcinoma can start in your:
Invasive Adenocarcinoma
If your cancer cells spread from where they originated to nearby lymph nodes (glands that are part of the immune system) or tissues, or to another part of your body, this is known as invasive adenocarcinoma.
Metastatic Adenocarcinoma
Metastatic adenocarcinoma is a later stage of invasive adenocarcinoma. If your cancer cells have spread to distant body parts, then you are considered to have metastatic adenocarcinoma. For instance, breast cancer could have spread (metastasized) to the brain or lungs.