Does a certain tumor type being invasive mean that it is highly metastatic?
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2$\begingroup$ Oncologists examine the margins of a biopsy for morphology and invasiveness. A tumor that is becoming invasive has a high potential to become metastatic, based on numerous factors. I would be hard pressed to tell you that a tumor is highly metastatic without testing, though. I am not an oncologist, either. $\endgroup$– CKMCommented Jun 18, 2018 at 17:11
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They are different things, metastasis is not the same as invasion.
Highly invasive cancer means that the tumor spreads beyond the layer of tissue in which it developed and is growing into surrounding, healthy tissues.
Highly metastatic tumors cause secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer.
In order for tumors to become metastatic, they must move and grow beyond their initial location and reach the circulatory system in order to travel to another location. During this phase, depending on the tumor, the malignant growth will acquire the ability to escape (tumors cannot do this at first, because it requires genetic mutations in genes responsible for cell adhesion). There are many other known factors which co-occur in cancer development - it is a rich field of research.
Here is an informative website for you to browse about the medical side of it: http://edcan.org.au/edcan-learning-resources/supporting-resources/biology-of-cancer/defining-cancer/invasion-metastasis
