When cancer starts in the lungs, it is called lung cancer. Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.
Lung cancer begins in the cells of your lungs. Lung cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs. Your lungs are two spongy organs in your chest that take in oxygen when you inhale and release carbon dioxide when you exhale. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Most lung cancers first spread to lymph nodes within the lung or around the major airways. 4 Lymph nodes are tiny organs clustered throughout the body that trap and filter foreign substances.
Stage 4 lung cancer, also called metastatic lung cancer, is an advanced disease. In stage 4 lung cancer, the cancer has spread from the lung, where it originated, to other parts of the body. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells separate from the original tumor and move through the body via the blood or lymph system.
The four most common sites of metastasis in SCLC at the time of diagnosis appear to be the liver, bone, brain and lung, with involvement of these sites identified in SCLC patients with newly diagnosed metastatic disease.
When cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, called metastatic lung cancer, the 5-year relative survival rate is 9%. It is important to note that newer treatments like targeted therapies and immunotherapies (see Types of Treatment) are allowing people with metastatic lung cancer to live longer than ever before.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fast-growing type of lung cancer. It spreads much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.
Most people with lung cancer do not feel pain or other symptoms during the early stages. This is because there are very few nerve endings in the lungs. However, pain can occur when lung cancer invades the chest wall, ribs, vertebrae, or certain nerves.
Outlook / Prognosis
Small cell lung cancer is a very aggressive illness. Without treatment, most people with small cell lung cancer die a few months after they're diagnosed. Healthcare providers can treat small cell lung cancer, but the disease often comes back.
When cancer blocks the lungs, there may eventually be not enough healthy lung tissue to allow you to absorb the oxygen you need. If you have advanced cancer, you might not have the strength to fight off a lung infection, even with strong antibiotics. So the infection can eventually lead to death.
If lung cancer grows and spreads, it can put pressure on the bones that make up the spine and the spinal cord or the nerves as they exit the spinal cord. This can lead to pain in your neck or upper, middle, or lower back. The pain may also spread to your arms, buttocks, or legs.
Primary lung cancers often invade the heart locally and they can also spread to the heart via the blood, lymphatic system or both; in contrast, an extension to the left atrium from the pulmonary vein is very rare.
Stomach issues
Nausea and constipation are often the result of dietary issues or gastrointestinal disorders. But they may be an early sign of lung cancer. That's because lung cancer may affect the stomach by causing hypercalcemia, characterized by too much calcium in the blood.
In 2023, an estimated 609,820 people will die of cancer in the United States. Lung and bronchus cancer is responsible for the most deaths with 127,070 people expected to die from this disease. That is nearly three times the 52,550 deaths due to colorectal cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer death.
The NCI add that over half of people who receive a diagnosis of localized lung cancer will live for 5 years or longer following diagnosis. As diagnosis and treatment strategies improve, more people are surviving for a decade or longer with the condition.
Inoperable lung cancer is a tumor that surgery can't treat. This might be because the cancer is in a hard-to-reach spot or for other reasons, like if it's spread outside your lungs. It's also called unresectable lung cancer. Just because you can't have surgery doesn't mean you can't do anything about the cancer.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including: a persistent cough. coughing up blood. persistent breathlessness.
It often is diagnosed at stage 3 or 4.
When cancer spreads from the lungs to the liver, doctors describe it as distant SCLC. Only around 3% of people with distant SCLC will survive for 5 years from when they receive a diagnosis. A 2016 study examined the outcomes of over 23,000 people with lung cancer.
Life expectancy for people with metastatic or metastasized lung cancer is low. The 5-year survival rate for small cell lung cancer is 3%, and 8% for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 25-30% of people with metastatic NSCLC have a life expectancy of under 3 months.
The five-year survival rate for a patient whose liver cancer has spread to surrounding tissue, organs and/or lymph nodes is estimated at 12 percent. The five-year survival rate for a patient whose liver cancer has spread to distant tissue, organs and/or lymph nodes is estimated at 3 percent.