| Advanced cancer | First reactions | The emotional impact |
| Treatment | Common symptoms | Complementary therapies |
| Unproven remedies | Death & dying | Services & information |
Taken from 
When Cancer Won't Go Away booklet (1.3MB)
Health professionals sometimes use different names to describe cancer that's advanced beyond early stages, including advanced, secondary, metastatic and progressive cancer. On this website we use the term ‘advanced cancer'. Whatever words you use, it can be devastating to hear that cancer has advanced.
We hope you find the information in the links above helpful: it was produced with the help of health professionals and people with advanced cancer.
Most of the quotes are from people with advanced cancer. They tell us how they faced the situation and what has helped them. Above all, they offer hope to others. But reading the information may stir up difficult feelings. Try reading the parts that seem useful now and leave the rest until you are ready.
If your cancer has spread and it is not possible to cure it by surgery, your doctor may still recommend treatment. In this case, treatment may help relieve any symptoms, can make you feel better and may allow you to live longer.
Whether or not you choose to have anti-cancer treatment, symptoms can still be controlled. For example, if you have pain, there are effective treatments for this.
Each type of cancer has its own pattern of development. Some grow very slowly, others tend to advance rapidly, and some are unpredictable in their behaviour. Some types are known to respond well to treatment in most people, while other types are generally more difficult to treat successfully. Although many early cancers can be cured, there are many people now living with cancer who at some time in the future will die of their disease.
Knowing more about a particular cancer type can help make sense of symptoms and the treatments that may be offered.
Advanced cancer is a term commonly used to describe:
Cancer is the name for abnormal cells that divide and multiply uncontrollably. When cancer begins, these cells usually develop into a mass (or tumour). This mass of cells is known as the primary cancer.
If the primary cancer is not treated, or cannot be treated, a few cancer cells can break away and move through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body. There, they multiply uncontrollably and form other masses of abnormal cells (metastases). When cancer spreads from the place where it first grew to other parts of the body, where it again begins to grow, it is known as secondary or metastatic cancer.
Advanced cancer usually cannot be cured; however, it usually can be treated to slow the growth and spread of the cancer, sometimes for months or years, and reduce its symptoms. Treatment can keep some cancers under control for long periods and is especially helpful in controlling pain.
General practitioners, specialists and palliative care teams in hospitals all play important roles in helping people with cancer. For further information, contact the Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 or Palliative Care Victoria on 9662 9644.
