oligometastatic disease
Pronunciation: oh-li-go-met-uh-STAT-ik
A state of limited metastatic spread where patients have five or fewer distant metastases.
Full Definition
Oligometastatic disease represents an intermediate state between localized and widely metastatic cancer, typically defined as having five or fewer distant metastatic lesions that are potentially amenable to local therapy. This concept has gained clinical importance as advances in imaging and local treatment techniques, such as stereotactic radiation therapy and surgical resection, have made it possible to treat all visible disease sites aggressively. Patients with oligometastatic disease often have better prognoses than those with widespread metastases and may achieve long-term survival with combined systemic and local therapies. The oligometastatic state may be induced by effective systemic therapy or may represent the natural behavior of certain tumors.
Usage
Usage note: Do not hyphenate. Distinguish from oligoprogressive disease, which refers to limited progression during treatment.
In Context
- "The patient with oligometastatic disease was treated with ablative therapy to all visible lesions." — Treatment summary
- "Oligometastatic disease was defined as ≤5 metastases amenable to local therapy." — Clinical trial definition