Cancer

Which preposition is better?

Tdol said:

Which preposition is better?

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I chosed "to". Which one is correct? I am confused.

I chose "to" also.

Having done a few translations in the area, I think they mean slightly different things. Normal metastasis "to" the liver might occur through the lymphatic system. But on the other hand, if a tumour was adjacent to the liver, it might metastatize into the liver, i.e. across a membrane.

I agree with kon. The only point I'd make is that local invasion is not called metastasis. For example, Basal Cell Carcinomas (a type of skin cancer) do not metastasize, but they can locally invade and destroy underlying tissues. Metastasis requires that cancer cells break off, and are seeded to other areas, so that metastases are not co-extensive with the primary tumour.

"Metastasis, or metastatic disease, is the spread of a cancer or disease from one organ or part to another not directly connected with it.
"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metastasis

Which one is appropriate here?

I will explain which preposition would be the best to use. The best would be "to" and not "into" because "into" would be like the cancer is a going to get inside the liver and infect it but just from inside, and "to" would be like the cancer is spreading to the enire organ not just inside. In conclusion the preposition "to" would be more formal to use in this case.

Vargas1002 said:

I will explain which preposition would be the best to use. The best would be "to" and not "into" because "into" would be like the cancer is a going to get inside the liver and infect it but just from inside, and "to" would be like the cancer is spreading to the enire organ not just inside. In conclusion the preposition "to" would be more formal to use in this case.

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Your conclusion is only valid if the situation is that "cancer is spreading to the enire organ not just inside". If the clinical situation is that "the cancer is a going to get inside the liver and infect it but just from inside", then "into" is correct.
Basically, your argument is:
1. If the clinical condition is X, then 'to' is right.
2. If the clinical condition is Y, then 'into' is right.
Conclusion: Therefore, 'to' is correct and more formal.

There is a missing premise.

And missing logic.

To me they mean almost the same.

to

I picked "to" and I'm in the minority.

Normally, 'into' is used to show transition or movement between two distinct places while the case with 'to' is different. It is used to indicate the extension of an activity or a movement. I am not sufficiently familiar with the clinical implication it involves; however, if cancer spreads from the outside of liver to the inside, 'into' can be used but, still, using 'to' is formal and more appropriate.

Sudhir Ambedkar said:

Normally, 'into' is used to show transition or movement between two distinct places while the case with 'to' is different. It is used to indicate the extension of an activity or a movement. I am not sufficiently familiar with the clinical implication it involves; however, if cancer spreads from the outside of liver to the inside, 'into' can be used but, still, using 'to' is formal and more appropriate.

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No, you are wrong. The correct answer, given by a medical doctor in post #5, and confirmed, if passively, by a veterinarian, is that both are correct depending on the type of spread. The poll cannot give the correct answer, because it assumes that only one answer is correct. All it can do is show how many people guess each way.

I think that if it is used 'into', It's gonna emphasises on the situation falls into another situation.
However, when the writer uses 'to', It might just state the event but not centres on the problem.

In my view, I assume that both can be used, It depends on what the writer wants to express in different situations.

Many polls don't have a right/wrong answer and are just starting points for a discussion. The discussion is usually more interesting than the answer. You will find texts with both prepositions, so the poll is looking at whether there's a difference, etc.