metastasis
UK: mɪˈtæstəsɪs | US: məˈtæstəsɪs
n. (Medicine) The spread of cancer cells from the primary site to other parts of the body.
n. (Figurative) A transformative shift or propagation of an idea, condition, or phenomenon.
Derived from Greek metastasis ("a changing, removal"), combining meta- (indicating transformation or transcendence) and stasis (a stationary state). Originally used in rhetoric for "a change of subject," it was later adopted in pathology (19th century) to describe the migration of disease. The morphemes reflect the core idea of "beyond a fixed state"—logically extending to uncontrolled cellular migration in cancer.
The patient’s biopsy confirmed liver metastasis from the primary lung tumor.
Metastasis complicates treatment by dispersing malignant cells unpredictably.
In literature, the metaphor of metastasis describes the rapid spread of social unrest.
Early detection can prevent metastasis in many cancers.
The artist’s work explores cultural metastasis—how traditions evolve across borders.