Cancer - it's a scare that's spreading like the flu. The modern day epidemic doesn't distinguish and after Irrfan Khan, it is the talented Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre who has been diagnosed with cancer. Sonali took to Twitter to share how "life throws you a curveball" when you least expect it.
Her post read, "Sometimes when you least expect it, life throws you a curveball. I have recently been diagnosed with high-grade cancer that has metastasized, which we frankly did not see coming. A niggling pain led to some tests, which led to this unexpected diagnosis. My family and close friends have rallied around me, providing the best support system that anyone can ask for. I am very blessed and thankful for each of them.”
She added, “There is no better way to tackle this than to take swift and immediate action. And so, as advised by my doctors, I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I’ve received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful. I’m taking this battle head-on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me.”
What is metastatic cancer?
When cancer cells break away from the primary spot where they were formed and spread to other parts through lymph system or blood, it is known as metastatic cancer. The cancer cells form tumours in other parts of the body, which are known as metastatic tumours. However, both the primary and metastatic cancer are same in nature.
Often, a metastasis occurs in the stage IV (four) of many forms of cancer, says cancer.gov. Metastasis is a serious stage as it means that the cancer was strong enough to spread to other parts of the body.
As metastatic cancer is similar to the primary form of cancer, so, for example, if breast cancer spreads to lungs, it will be called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. The treatment for the metastatic cancer would be like that of stage IV breast cancer.