Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that relies on the use of powerful medications to kill cancer cells. While it can be an effective treatment, it can also have serious side effects, including causing cancer cells to metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Metastasis is the process in which cancer cells move from one part of the body to another. Cancer cells can spread through the lymphatic system, the bloodstream, or directly through tissue. When cancer cells spread to other organs, it is known as organ metastasis.
Chemotherapy can cause organ metastasis by killing cancer cells, but also by damaging healthy cells in the process. The damaged cells can become cancerous and spread to other organs. Chemotherapy drugs can also affect the cells in the tumor microenvironment, which can lead to the release of molecules that stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy can also cause organ metastasis by affecting the body's immune system. When the immune system is weakened, cancer cells are able to spread more easily. This is why chemotherapy treatments are typically combined with immunotherapy, which helps the body's immune system fight the cancer.
Learn more? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6035114/