Metastatic cancer to the lung is the result of the spread of cancer from other organs or sites in the body. These lung tumors are called lung metastases, because they have metastasized (spread) from the original cancer location. Just as lung cancer can spread to any part of the body, cancer of the liver or pancreas or prostate can spread to the lungs.

It is absolutely critical that cancer be diagnosed in the early stages in order to have the broadest range of treatment available and to have the best chance of survival. With every advance that cancer makes, either by invading surrounding tissue or spreading into other organs, successful treatment is lessened. Once cancer has metastasized, options and survival are severely limited.

Metastatic Cancer to the Lung Is Ominous

Metastatic cancer to the lung precludes lung cancer surgery, which is reserved for the early stages of lung cancer. The purpose of surgery is to remove the cancerous tumor completely. If cancer is spreading, surgery is not feasible because whatever treatment was given for the tumor in the original site has failed. Treatment must center on an overall approach, such as chemotherapy, in hopes that it will kill cancer cells and stop the metastasis.

If, for instance, metastasis prostate cancer has reached the lungs, it is obvious that the treatment for the prostate cancer has not been successful, or that the cancer was in an advanced stage before diagnosis. Surgery on the lung tumor would probably be futile as long as the underlying prostate cancer is spreading. In such a case, the standard treatment of chemotherapy would be the one remaining hope to contain metastatic cancer to the lung.