When cancerous cells begin to spread from the lungs to other parts of the body, the cancer is considered metastatic or as Stage IV. Cancerous cells that have traveled from the lungs to another part of the body may begin to multiply and form other similar tumors. This is known as metastases or metastatic disease. Advanced lung cancer is more serious than localized lung cancer because the survival is very different. This website will focus primarily on metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.
Metastasis is the process by which cancerous cells spread from the primary tumor to different parts of the body. Cancer cells multiply until they break through capillary walls or spread into lymph nodes. When this occurs, cancer cells enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Once there, cancer cells travel through the blood vessels to other areas of the body and begin forming new tumors, known as metastases.
A cancer occurs when cells in one part of the body begin to grow uncontrollably. These cells keep dividing, eventually forming growths or tumors. In the lungs, tumors can interfere with normal lung function and cause bleeding or chest pain. If the tumor is malignant, cancerous cells can break off from the primary or main tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system. From there they spread to other areas of the body and start to form more tumors. This is called metastatic disease or metastatic cancer. There are two main types of lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer cases, and small-cell lung cancer. Because different types of cancer are treated differently, your oncologist will help you decide what treatment is best for you.
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