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Cancer progression explains what cancer is: a locally developing tumour generating metastases.

Once cancer progression occurs, there are several possibilities for fighting against it:

• by the screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions,
  
• by the screening and treatment of small cancers(essentially by surgery or radiotherapy),
  
• by treating cancers that remain localised (frequent association of adjuvant treatment such as chemotherapy or hormonotherapy),
  
• by treating generalised cancers (by chemotherapy, hormonotherapy, and/or palliative care).

Treatment efficiency decreases as cancer progresses:

• the most efficient therapies are those applied to limited lesions (like those detected through organised screening): surgery and radiotherapy are then very efficient,
  
• Localised but more developed cancers can be the origin of silent metastases, which cannot be detected using standard clinical methods. In order to diminish the risk of metastasis, adjuvant treatments are proposed (chemotherapy or hormonotherapy), in complement to local treatment,
  
• Generalised cancers are generally not treated with a curative intention and only a palliative and temporary beneficial effect is obtained (except for tumours which are very sensitive to chemotherapy or hormonotherapy).

Malignant tumour	Clinical cancer	Metastatic cancer
Tumour development and metastases