How Does Lung Cancer Spread?
Lung cancerspreads whencancer cellsbreak off from theprimary (original) tumorand travel through the bloodstream orlymphatic system.
Where Does Lung Cancer Spread?
Verywell / JR Bee
Differentstages of the diseaseindicate how much the cancer has grown and spread.
Local spread is known asstage 2.
Metastasis triggers when cancer spreads to distant sites.
The risk of metastatic lung cancer can also vary by the cancer bang out.
As long as cancer only spreads to nearby lymph nodes, it isn’t considered metastatic.
The local spread of cancer to the lymph nodes can occur duringstage 2 NSCLCor limited-stage SCLC.
People at this stage often have no symptoms.
If left untreated, the cancer can spread to distant lymph nodes and other sites in the body.
Surgery is the first-line treatment for early-stage NSCLC and includes the partial or complete removal of nearby lymph nodes.
Recap
The spread of lung cancer to nearby lymph nodes is not considered metastasis.
It is only when distant lymph nodes are affected that metastatic lung cancer is diagnosed.
Bone
One of the more serious complications of NSCLC is lung cancer metastases to bones.
Roughly30% to 40% of people withadvanced lung cancerwill develop this.
The areas most affected by bone metastases include:
Pain is the most common symptom.
The pain often starts gradually, feeling more like a muscle pull or strain, before turning severe.
More severe symptoms may include:
The primary goal of treatment is to reduce pain and prevent fractures.
Options include pain medications, radiation, surgery, and drugs used to slow the breakdown of bone.
Pain and bone fractures are common with advanced disease.
Brain
Lung cancer is the most common cancer that spreads to the brain.
In fact, as many as 40% of people with lung cancer will developbrain metastasesat some point.
This can occur with both NSCLC and SCLC but is known to develop rapidly with SCLC.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer that spreads to the brain.
Adrenal Glands
Adrenal glandsare organs on the top of the kidneys that produce hormones.
Treatment with chemotherapy is useful in extending survival.
How Quickly Does Lung Cancer Spread?
Every cancer is different, so there isn’t one answer to this question.
The thinking is that the fasterit grows, the quicker it may spread.
The bang out of cancer also plays a role in how quickly lung cancer can spread.
How Is Metastatic Lung Cancer Treated?
The goal of treatment is to slow or stop the tumor’s growth and alleviate symptoms.
Patients will typically receive palliative care.
Can Metastatic Lung Cancer Be Cured?
In most cases, metastatic lung cancer is not curable.
This doesn’t mean your chances of survival are necessarily low, however.
The spread may be limited to nearby lymph nodes, where the cancer is more readily treated.
If it spreads to distant organs, it is referred to as metastatic lung cancer and is considered incurable.
Even so, there are drugs and treatments that can manage metastatic lung cancer and control symptoms.
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