What is the difference between metastasis and invasion

Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Tumor invasion and metastasis: are they the same thing? Oct 20, Yes — invasiveness is different than metastasis.

Invasiveness is the ability of a tumor to extend into the surrounding tissue, and it is almost always a sign of malignancy. Benign tumors with very few exceptions , are encapsulated and grow simply by expanding and pushing the surrounding tissue aside.

Malignant tumors with very few exceptions , are unencapsulated and grow by reaching into the surrounding tissue. Metastasis is the ability of the tumor to move to a different location in the body and set up shop start growing there.

Malignant tumors usually do, although if detected early, they may be removed before they have the chance. Share this: Twitter Facebook. More pathology! Emmanuel on May 8, at pm. All Rights Reserved. All Posts. Hallmarks of Cancer: Activation Invasion and Metastasis. News Corporate Social Responsibility. Subscribe for Blog Updates. Popular Posts. Tweets by CellSignal. Related Posts. Chris S Nov 8, AM. Emerging Discoveries in ER-Phagy Autophagy is a catabolic process for the disposal of cytoplasmic contents that are captured by double-mem Gary K.

Invasion refers to the local spread of a malignant neoplasm by infiltration or destruction of adjacent tissue while metastasis refers to the transfer of cells in a malignant tumor from one organ or part to another not directly connected with it. Method of spreading is a major difference between invasion and metastasis.

Invasion occurs through the infiltration or destruction of the basement membrane of the epithelium while metastasis occurs through the circulatory or lymphatic system. Another difference between invasion and metastasis is that invasion is a type of local speeding since it only invades nearby tissues while metastasis leads to the invasion of tissue in distinct locations to the malignant tumor.

While metastasis is a life-threatening event, invasion is less dangerous. Hence, this is another difference between invasion and metastasis. Invasion is a method used by cancer cells to spread into the neighboring tissues. It occurs either through infiltration or destruction of the basement membrane of the epithelium. On the other hand, metastasis is the other method used by cancer cells to spread into distant tissues of the body, mainly through the circulatory and the lymphatic system.

Therefore, the main difference between invasion and metastasis is the method and the type of tissues to which the cancer cells spread. Austin TX : Landes Bioscience; Available Here. Public Domain via Commons Wikimedia.