metastasis

Term: metastasis

Origin:  Anc Greek μεθίστημι/methistimi >

μετά*/meta(=following) + ίστημι/istimi(=to stand, to place)

*μετά+gen(=with)

Coined: the word was evident in the medical context derived of 5th cen BC “Corpus Hippocratum” meaning the change of the place of the stagnation of the humors. In English lexicon appeared in 1586 meaning rapid transition from one place to another. The modern sense of the term attested in 1735 by Joahnnes de Corter in Leiden describing a transition of breast cancer from chest to lymph nodes. (source: S E Clare, R Kurek and LA Liotta”Matastasis: whose bright idea, Historical overview and future prospects” Clin and Exp Matast, Vol14, )

Definition:

The cancer (malignant tumor) formed from the spread of the primary tumor  away from the site of origin.