How does lung cancer spread to other organs?
Lung cancer can spread to other organs through a process called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from the original tumor in your lung and travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system to reach distant parts of your body.
The most common places lung cancer spreads to Show Full Answer
How does lung cancer spread to other organs?
Lung cancer can spread to other organs through a process called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from the original tumor in your lung and travel through your bloodstream or lymphatic system to reach distant parts of your body.
The most common places lung cancer spreads to include:
- Lymph nodes
- Brain
- Bones
- Liver
- Adrenal glands
When lung cancer spreads to another organ, it's still considered lung cancer, not cancer of that new organ. The cells still look and behave like lung cancer cells and are treated as such. Many people don't experience symptoms until after the cancer has already spread, which is why about 50 percent of lung cancers have metastasized by the time they're diagnosed. When cancer spreads to stage 4, it means tumors are present in both lungs or in organs outside the lungs.
Symptoms vary depending on where the cancer has spread, but general symptoms can include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, unintentional weight loss, fatigue, and weakness.
April 14
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