Cancer metastasis: an update.

OBJECTIVES

To highlight recent research, focusing on inhibiting or blocking the metastatic process, that can be expected to be introduced to the clinical settings in the near future.

DATA SOURCES

Published scientific papers and review articles relating to research involving the metastatic process.

CONCLUSIONS

An explosion of research findings is being incorporated into plausible strategies that will allow cancer treatment options to be tailored to an individual patient's disease status.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

With new information about the metastatic process becoming available at a rapid pace, it is imperative that nurses continue to be well-informed and prepared to provide safe quality care to people facing cancer while implementing the new treatment strategies.