Powerful Simulation Reveals How Cancer Progresses and Ultimately Causes Death

According to projections from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), around 2 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025. Among the most common diagnoses are breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers—these account for nearly half of all new cancer cases in the United States. Tragically, lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers also cause nearly 50% of all cancer-related deaths.

While many assume it's the tumors themselves that lead to death, Dr. Paulien Moyaert, a medical professional and educator, emphasizes that it’s often the complications and effects cancer triggers within the body that ultimately become fatal.

In a powerful 4-minute 3D simulation video shared on her YouTube channel, Dr. Moyaert offers a visual breakdown of how cancer spreads and how it affects various organs—often with devastating consequences.

The video focuses on metastatic cancer, the deadliest form of the disease. This occurs when a single cancerous cell breaks away from the original tumor, travels through the body, and forms new tumors in other organs. These secondary tumors can grow aggressively, disrupting organ function and eventually leading to death.

“If cancer develops in the digestive system,” Dr. Moyaert explains, “it can block food absorption and waste expulsion, which may result in life-threatening complications like intestinal perforation if not surgically treated.”

In cases involving the pancreas, cancer can block pancreatic ducts, leading the pancreas to effectively digest itself, making pancreatic cancer one of the most painful and deadly forms of the disease.

Lung cancer, meanwhile, can lead to asphyxiation, a condition where the body doesn't receive enough oxygen due to impaired lung function—often causing death if not managed.

Infections also become a major threat to cancer patients. Cancer severely weakens the immune system, and chemotherapy further suppresses bone marrow function, which is where white blood cells—the body’s infection fighters—are produced.

“When cancer infiltrates the bone marrow,” the simulation notes, “there eventually isn’t enough healthy marrow to produce blood cells.” This leads to anemia, dangerously low white blood cell counts, and a lack of platelets, which are vital for stopping abnormal bleeding.

Another common but often overlooked complication is cachexia, a condition characterized by severe muscle wasting and weight loss, affecting about 50% of cancer patients.

Despite the gravity of these outcomes, Dr. Moyaert ends the video with a message of reassurance: pain management options like morphine and opiates are widely available, and no cancer patient should endure unnecessary suffering.

The simulation has struck a chord online, viewed over 6.6 million times, and continues to educate viewers on the hidden realities of cancer progression—reminding us of the importance of early detection, comprehensive care, and compassionate treatment.