Initially, nearby lymph nodes are struck early. The lungs, liver, brain, and bones are the most common metastasis locations from solid tumors.

- In lymph nodes, a common symptom is lymphadenopathy

- Lungs: cough, hemoptysis and dyspnea (shortness of breath)

- Liver: hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), nausea and jaundice

- Bones: bone pain, fracture of affected bones

- Brain: neurological symptoms such as headaches, seizures, and vertigo

Although advanced cancer may cause pain, it is often not the first symptom.

Some patients, however, do not show any symptoms.

When the organ gets a metastatic disease it begins to shrink until its lymph nodes burst, or undergo lysis.

Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; it is typically spoken of as such spread by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, are metastases (mets).

Cancer occurs after cells are genetically altered to proliferate rapidly and indefinitely. This uncontrolled proliferation by mitosis produces a primary heterogeneic tumour. The cells which constitute the tumor eventually undergo metaplasia, followed by anaplasia then dysplasia, resulting in a malignant phenotype. This malignancy allows for invasion into the circulation, followed by invasion to a second site for tumorigenesis.

Some cancer cells known as circulating tumor cells acquire the ability to penetrate the walls of lymphatic or blood vessels, after which they are able to circulate through the bloodstream to other sites and tissues in the body. This process is known (respectively) as "lymphatic" or "hematogenous" spread. After the tumor cells come to rest at another site, they re-penetrate the vessel or walls and continue to multiply, eventually forming another clinically detectable tumor. This new tumor is known as a metastatic (or "secondary") tumor. Metastasis is one of the hallmarks of cancer, distinguishing it from benign tumors. Most cancers can metastasize, although in varying degrees. Basal cell carcinoma for example rarely metastasizes.

When tumor cells metastasize, the new tumor is called a "secondary" or "metastatic" tumor, and its cells are similar to those in the original or primary tumor. This means that if breast cancer metastasizes to the lungs, the secondary tumor is made up of abnormal breast cells, not of abnormal lung cells. The tumor in the lung is then called "metastatic breast cancer", not "lung cancer". Metastasis is a key element in cancer staging systems such as the TNM staging system, where it represents the "M". In overall stage grouping, metastasis places a cancer in Stage IV. The possibilities of curative treatment are greatly reduced, or often entirely removed, when a cancer has metastasized.

The symptoms produced by metastatic breast cancer vary by the location of the metastases. For instance:

- Metastatic disease to the bone causes severe, progressive pain, and, less commonly, pathological fracture, erythema over the affected bone, and swelling.

- Metastatic breast cancer to the brain causes the following symptoms: persistent, progressively worsening headache, visual changes, seizures, nausea or vomiting, vertigo, behavioral and personality changes, and increased intracranial pressure.

- Metastatic disease to the liver causes jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting

- Metastatic breast cancer to the lung or pleura causes chronic cough, dyspnea, abnormal chest X-ray, and chest pain.

- Other nonspecific systemic symptoms of metastatic breast cancer include fatigue, malaise, weight loss, and poor appetite.

Because different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions, symptoms vary depending on the site of metastasis within the brain. However, brain metastases should be considered in any cancer patient who presents with neurological or behavioral changes.

Brain metastases can cause a wide variety of symptoms which can also be present in minor, more common conditions. Neurological symptoms are often caused by increased intracranial pressure, with severe cases resulting in coma. The most common neurological symptoms include:

- New onset headaches: headaches occur in roughly half of brain metastasis patients, especially in those with many tumors.

- Paresthesias: patients often present with (hemiparesis), or weakness on only one side of the body, which is often a result of damage to neighboring brain tissue.

- Ataxia: when metastasis occurs to the cerebellum, patients will experience various difficulties with spatial awareness and coordination.

- Seizures: when present, often indicates disease involvement of the cerebral cortex.

A brain metastasis is a cancer that has metastasized (spread) to the brain from another location in the body and is therefore considered a secondary brain tumor. The metastasis typically shares a cancer cell type with the original site of the cancer. Metastasis is the most common cause of brain cancer, with tumors originating in the brain being less common. The most common sites of primary cancer which metastasize to the brain are lung, breast, colon, kidney, and skin cancer. Brain metastases can occur in patients months or even years after their original cancer is treated. Brain metastases have a poor prognosis for cure, but modern treatments are allowing patients to live months and sometimes years after the diagnosis.

Metastatic breast cancer, also referred to as metastases, advanced breast cancer, secondary tumours, secondaries or stage 4 breast cancer, is a stage of breast cancer where the disease has spread to distant sites beyond the axillary lymph nodes. There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer. There is no stage after IV.

It usually occurs several years after the primary breast cancer, although it is sometimes diagnosed at the same time as the primary breast cancer or, rarely, before the primary breast cancer has been diagnosed.

Metastatic breast cancer cells frequently differ from the preceding primary breast cancer in properties such as receptor status. The cells have often developed resistance to several lines of previous treatment and have acquired special properties that permit them to metastasize to distant sites. Metastatic breast cancer can be treated, sometimes for many years, but it cannot be cured. Distant metastases are the cause of about 90% of deaths due to breast cancer.

Breast cancer can metastasize anywhere in body but primarily metastasizes to the bone, lungs, regional lymph nodes, liver and brain, with the most common site being the bone. Treatment of metastatic breast cancer depends on location of the metastatic tumours and includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biological, and hormonal therapy.

Typical environmental barriers in a metastatic event include physical (a basement membrane), chemical (reactive oxygen species or ROS, hypoxia and low pH) and biological (immune surveillance, inhibitory cytokines and regulatory extra-cellular matrix (ECM) peptides) components. Organ-specific anatomic considerations also influence metastasis; these include blood-flow patterns from the primary tumor and the homing ability of cancer cells to certain tissues. The targeting by cancer cells of specific organs is probably regulated by chemo-attractant factors and adhesion molecules produced by the target organ, along with cell-surface receptors expressed by the tumor cells.

When most tumors metastasize to the lung, they form distinct nodules, but about 7% spread through the lymph vessels of the lung. They may impair breathing in several ways; the lung becomes stiffer; blood vessels traveling alongside the distended lymph vessels become compressed.

A pattern of multiple small nodular metastases has been described as miliary carcinosis which has a radiographic appearance similar to miliary tuberculosis.

The early lesions are usually asymptomatic. The patients presenting with an advanced stage of the disease comprises around 66-77% of the cases.

The most important signs include a lump in the neck when palpated and weight loss.

People may also present with fatigue as a symptom.

The primary tumor does not have readily discernible signs or symptoms as they grow within the tonsillar capsule. It is difficult to notice anything suspicious on examination of the tonsil other than slight enlargement or the development of firmness around the area.

The carcinoma may occur in one or more sites deep within the tonsillar crypts. It may be accompanied by the enlargement of the tonsil. The affected tonsil grows into the oropharyngeal space making it noticeable by the patient in the form of a neck mass mostly in the jugulodiagastric region.

As the tonsils consist of a rich network of lymphatics, the carcinoma may metastasise to the neck lymph nodes which many are cystic.

Extension of tumor to skull or mediastinum can occur.

The additional symptoms include a painful throat, dysphagia, otalgia (due to cranial nerve involvement), foreign body sensation, bleeding, fixation of tongue (infiltration of deep muscles) and trismus (if the pterygoid muscle is involved in the parapharyngeal space).

On the other hand, the tumor may also present as a deep red or white fungating wound growing outwards, breaking the skin surface with a central ulceration. This wound-like ulcer fails to heal (non-healing) leading to bleeding and throat pain and other associated symptoms.

During biopsy, the lesion may show three signs: Gritty texture, Firmness and cystification owing to keratinization, fribrosis and necrosis respectively.

Cervical lymphydenopathy may be present.

Carcinoma is a type of cancer that develops from epithelial cells. Specifically, a carcinoma is a cancer that begins in a tissue that lines the inner or outer surfaces of the body, and that arises from cells originating in the endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal germ layer during embryogenesis.

Carcinomas occur when the DNA of a cell is damaged or altered and the cell begins to grow uncontrollably and become malignant. It is from the Greek καρκίνωμα 'karkinoma' meaning sore, ulcer, or cancer, itself derived from "karkinos" 'crab'.

Krukenberg tumors often come to the attention when they cause abdominal or pelvic pain, bloating, ascites, or pain during sexual intercourse. Krukenberg tumors can occasionally provoke a reaction of the ovarian stroma which leads to hormone production, that results in vaginal bleeding, a change in menstrual habits, or hirsutism, or occasionally virilization as a main symptom.

All these symptoms are non-specific and can also arise with a range of problems other than cancer, and a diagnosis can only be made following confirmatory investigations such as computed tomography (CT) scans, laparotomy and/or a biopsy of the ovary.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma affects many different parts of the body.

In the cervix, it is a rare, but very aggressive form of cervical cancer. In its early stages, neuroendocrine carcinoma is asymptomatic (not showing or producing indications of a disease or other medical condition). In more advanced stages, symptoms of Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix are: abnormal vaginal bleeding, increased vaginal discharge, and pelvic pain, painful urination, pain during sex, tiredness, leg swelling, and backache. When left untreated, metastasis or even death may occur.

Carcinoma of the tonsil is a type of squamous cell carcinoma. The tonsil is the most common site of squamous cell carcinoma in the oropharynx. The tumors frequently present at advanced stages, and around 70% of patients present with metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes.

The most common site for the incidence of the tumor is: the lateral wall of oropharynx 45%; base of the tongue 40%; posterior wall 10% and soft palate 5%. The most reported complaints include sore throat, otalgia or dysphagia. Some patients may complain of feeling the presence of a lump in the throat. Approximately 20% patients present with a node in the neck as the only symptom.

Main risk factors of developing carcinoma tonsil include tobacco smoking and regular intake of high amount of alcohol. It has also been linked to a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV type HPV16). Other risk factors include poor maintenance of oral hygiene, a genetic predisposition leading to inclination towards development of throat cancer, immunocompromised states (such as post solid-organ transplant), and chronic exposure to agents such as asbestos and perchloroethylene in certain occupations, radiation therapy and dietary factors.

The lesion is found in patients who present typically with abnormal or postmenopausal bleeding or discharge. Such bleeding is followed by further evaluation leading to a tissue diagnosis, usually done by a dilatation and curettage (D&C). A work-up to follow would look for metastasis using imaging technology including sonography and MRI. The median age at diagnosis in a large study was 66 years. Histologically the lesion may coexist with classical endometrial cancer.

A Krukenberg tumor refers to a malignancy in the ovary that metastasized from a primary site, classically the gastrointestinal tract, although it can arise in other tissues such as the breast. Gastric adenocarcinoma, especially at the pylorus, is the most common source. Krukenberg tumors are often (over 80%) found in both ovaries, consistent with its metastatic nature.

A liver metastasis is a malignant tumor in the liver that has spread from another organ affected by cancer. The liver is a common site for metastatic disease because of its rich, dual blood supply (the liver receives blood via the hepatic artery and portal vein). Metastatic tumors in the liver are 20 times more common than primary tumors. In 50% of all cases the primary tumor is of the gastrointestinal tract, other common sites include the breast, ovaries, bronchus and kidney.

Tumor emboli entering the sinusoids through the liver blood supply appear to be physically obstructed by the Kupffer cells, but if tumor emboli are larger, they tend to become lodged in the portal venous branches.

Symptoms may include:

- Swelling in the extremities (arms or legs), also called peripheral edema; the swelling often is painless.

- Difficulty in moving the extremity that has the tumor, including a limp.

- Soreness localized to the area of the tumor or in the extremity.

- Neurological symptoms.

- Pain or discomfort: numbness, burning, or "pins and needles."

- Dizzyness and/or loss of balance.

Physicians grade chondrosarcoma using several criteria, but particularly on how abnormal the cancerous cells appear under the microscope, and the growth rate of the tumors themselves, both of which are directly linked to the propensity of the cancer to invade locally, and to spread widely to distant organs and sites in the body (called metastasis).

Grade 1 chondrosarcoma grows relatively slowly, has cells whose histological appearance is quite similar to cells of normal cartilage, and have much less aggressive invasive and metastatic properties. Grades 2 and 3 are increasingly faster-growing cancers, with more varied and abnormal-looking cells, and are much more likely to infiltrate surrounding tissues, lymph nodes, and organs. Some, but not all, authorities and medical facilities assign a "Grade 4" to the most anaplastic, undifferentiated cartilage-derived tumors.

The most common sites for chondrosarcoma to grow are the pelvis and shoulder, along with the superior metaphyseal and diaphyseal regions of the arms and legs. However, chondrosarcoma may occur in any bone, and are sometimes found in the skull, particularly at its base.

ICD-O codes provide a more precise classification of chondrosarcoma. These "subtypes" are derived from, and reflect, both (a) the topographical location of the tumor, (b) the histological characteristics of the cancerous cartilage cells, and (c) the makeup of the surrounding matrix material associated with the tumor:

Bone metastases, or metastatic bone disease, is a class of cancer metastases that results from primary tumor invasion to bone. Bone-originating primary tumors such as osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing's sarcoma are rare. Unlike hematological malignancies that originate in the blood and form non-solid tumors, bone metastases generally arise from epithelial tumors and form a solid mass inside the bone. Bone metastases cause severe pain, characterized by a dull, constant ache with periodic spikes of incident pain.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are a rare type of cancer that arise from the soft tissue that surrounds nerves. They are a type of sarcoma. Most malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors arise from the nerve plexuses that distribute nerves into the limbs—the brachial and lumbar plexuses—or from nerves as they arise from the trunk.

Uterine clear-cell carcinoma (CC) is a rare form of endometrial cancer with distinct morphological features on pathology; it is aggressive and has high recurrence rate. Like uterine papillary serous carcinoma CC does not develop from endometrial hyperplasia and is not hormone sensitive, rather it arises from an atrophic endometrium. Such lesions belong to the type II endometrial cancers.

Small-cell carcinoma (also known as "small-cell lung cancer", or "oat-cell carcinoma") is a type of highly malignant cancer that most commonly arises within the lung, although it can occasionally arise in other body sites, such as the cervix, prostate, and gastrointestinal tract. Compared to non-small cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma has a shorter doubling time, higher growth fraction, and earlier development of metastases.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix is best defined separately:

Neuroendocrine: Of, relating to, or involving the interaction between the nervous system and the hormones of the endocrine glands.

Carcinoma: An invasive malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue that tends to metastasize to other areas of the body.

The symptoms of laryngeal cancer depend on the size and location of the tumour. Symptoms may include the following:

- Hoarseness or other voice changes

- A lump in the neck

- A sore throat or feeling that something is stuck in the throat

- Persistent cough

- Stridor - a high-pitched wheezing sound indicative of a narrowed or obstructed airway

- Bad breath

- Earache (""referred"")

- Difficulty swallowing

Treatment effects can include post-operative changes in appearance, difficulty eating, or loss of voice that may require learning alternate methods of speaking.

Lung cancer is an extremely heterogeneous family of malignant neoplasms, with well over 50 different histological variants recognized under the 4th revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) typing system ("WHO-2004"), currently the most widely used lung cancer classification scheme. Because these variants have differing genetic, biological, and clinical properties, including response to treatment, correct classification of lung cancer cases are necessary to assure that lung cancer patients receive optimum management.

The WHO-2004 scheme groups lung carcinomas into 8 major types:

- Squamous cell carcinoma

- Small cell carcinoma

- Adenocarcinoma

- Large cell carcinoma

- Adenosquamous carcinoma

- Sarcomatoid carcinoma

- Carcinoid tumor

- Salivary gland-like carcinoma

EMECL is considered a subtype of salivary gland-like carcinoma, tumors so named because their histological appearance and characteristics closely resemble malignant neoplasms arising in the major and minor salivary glands.