Metastatic Lung Cancer
Metastatic lung cancer is when lung tumors spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, bones, liver, or adrenal glands. This occurs after cancer cells break away from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other areas. Metastatic lung cancer is advanced, but treatments may help you or a loved one live longer.
What Is Metastatic Lung Cancer?
Metastasis means that a cancer tumor has spread from where it started and into other organs. Lung cancer that is metastatic may be harder to treat and can cause severe symptoms, depending on where and how far it has spread.
However, lung cancer patients can possibly achieve long-term survival even with metastatic tumors.
Quick Facts About Metastatic Lung Cancer
- During metastasis, lung cancer tumors may reach distant lymph nodes, the brain, bones, liver, adrenal glands, or other body parts.
- It is also known as stage 4 lung cancer.
- Treatments include pain-relieving care, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and sometimes surgery or radiation.
- The metastatic lung cancer life expectancy is 4-13 months, but some patients live much longer with treatment.
Lung Cancer Group may be able to help you or a loved one afford medical care following a metastatic lung cancer diagnosis.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide now to explore treatments and compensation options.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
What Causes Metastatic Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer metastasizes when malignant cells break away from the main tumor and travel from the bloodstream or lymphatic system to other parts of the body.
Lung cancer has many potential causes, including smoking and exposure to toxins like asbestos. Because many patients don’t experience noticeable symptoms until the cancer has started to spread, it’s harder to treat and metastasis is more likely.
Other factors that affect lung cancer metastasis include:
- Cancer not responding to treatment
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Tumor size and location
- Type of lung cancer
- Weakened immune system
Addressing these risk factors with early detection and treatment can help reduce the risk of metastatic lung cancer.
Types of Metastatic Lung Cancer
There are two main types of lung cancer — non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) — both of which can metastasize.
Here’s what you need to know about:
- Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: This is the most common lung cancer type. Roughly 40% of NSCLC patients have metastatic tumors at the time of diagnosis.
- Metastatic small cell lung cancer: SCLC is rarer and more aggressive than NSCLC. Up to 60% of SCLC patients are diagnosed with metastatic cancer, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Doctors can determine which type you have at the time of diagnosis and recommend treatments that will work best in your case.
Where Does Metastatic Lung Cancer Spread to?
Metastatic lung cancer indicates spread to body parts that are far away from the lung, potentially making treatment more difficult. Lung cancer can spread to essentially any area of the body, according to the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Common sites of lung cancer metastasis include:
- Adrenal glands
- Bones
- Brain
- Liver
- Lymph nodes far from the lungs
“At that point, any metastatic tumors that develop in another area of the body are still considered lung cancer, because they are made up of lung cancer cells.”
— Cancer research & treatment center City of Hope
What Are Metastatic Lung Cancer Symptoms?
Symptoms of metastatic lung cancer are often severe and cause significant discomfort. Early symptoms of lung cancer like difficulty breathing worsen and new ones appear.
Symptoms of metastatic lung cancer include:
- A bloody cough that won’t go away
- Fever
- Headaches, dizziness, seizures, and limb numbness if tumors reach brain
- Hoarse voice
- Jaundice if tumors spread to liver
- Night sweats
- Pain in hips, back, or ribs in cases of bone metastasis
- Pleural effusion (fluid buildup in chest wall)
- Recurring infections like pneumonia
- Weakness and fatigue
- Weight loss
If you or a loved one is suffering from symptoms that could be signs of metastatic lung cancer, see a doctor immediately. A prompt and accurate diagnosis from a doctor can allow you to access treatments to manage symptoms and live longer.
Call (877) 446-5767 for help affording care following a metastatic lung cancer diagnosis.
Diagnosing Metastatic Lung Cancer
Doctors use several tests to determine if someone has lung cancer and how far it has spread.
Notable tests to diagnose lung cancer include:
- Imaging tests: CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, and X-rays can all show potential signs of cancer.
- Blood tests: These identify tumor markers and signs of organ dysfunction due to metastasis.
- Biopsies: This is the only way to determine if a person has lung cancer and involves analyzing a fluid or tissue sample under a microscope for malignant cells.
Top lung cancer doctors will confirm a diagnosis through biopsy results and then determine lung cancer stage using the results of imaging scans. If doctors find evidence of tumors throughout the body, you may have late-stage or metastatic lung cancer.
Doctors may not know that lung cancer is metastatic until after treatment has started, according to the Moffitt Cancer Center. However, experienced specialists can promptly adjust your treatment plan to potentially improve your survival in these cases.
Metastatic Lung Cancer Treatment
Treating metastatic lung cancer depends on which specific type you have, where it has spread, your overall health, and more. The most commonly used treatments are chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
Learn about key metastatic lung cancer treatment options below.
Chemotherapy for Metastatic Lung Cancer
Chemotherapy for lung cancer is cancer-fighting medication that circulates through the body. It is the benchmark treatment for metastatic SCLC and many cases of NSCLC.
Chemotherapy drugs can shrink the main tumor and kill malignant cells found in the adrenal gland, bones, and liver, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Chemotherapy drugs for metastatic lung cancer include:
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar®)
- Pemetrexed (Alimta®)
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to explore how chemotherapy and other treatments can help after a diagnosis.
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Immunotherapy for Metastatic Lung Cancer
Immunotherapy is a common metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treatment, according to Yale Medicine. Lung cancer immunotherapy boosts the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
A study from The New England Journal of Medicine investigated the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers reported that nearly 70% of patients were still alive after 1 year thanks to this treatment combination.
Surgery
Lung cancer surgery is used in rare cases if metastases are limited (for example, a single tumor in the brain or adrenal glands).
However, most doctors are wary of recommending major lung cancer surgeries since it’s often not possible to remove all tumors.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation targets lung cancer tumors to reduce pain and limit spread. Lung cancer radiation is rarely used for metastatic SCLC, but could be offered in cases of NSCLC.
A type of precision radiation, CyberKnife, is showing promise. CyberKnife for metastatic lung cancer delivers a concentrated dose of radiation while causing less damage to healthy cells. Other types of radiation may also be used as palliative (pain-relieving) care.
Targeted Therapy
Lung cancer targeted therapy is medication that distinguishes cancers using proteins and other substances. This allows the treatment to destroy cancer without harming healthy cells.
Targeted lung cancer therapy is used in metastatic cases alongside or in place of chemotherapy, according to the ACS. Types of targeted therapy include osimertinib (Tagrisso®), bevacizumab (Avastin®), and lazertinib (Lazcluze®).
In one study, chemotherapy and Tagrisso for metastatic lung cancer reduced the risk of death or cancer spread by 38%.
Palliative Care for Metastatic Lung Cancer
Palliative care for metastatic lung cancer is any treatment used to relieve pain rather than extend life.
Types of lung cancer palliative care include:
- Low doses of chemotherapy and radiation
- Medications
- Minor surgeries
- Supplemental oxygen
Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer can greatly improve overall quality of life.
Clinical Trials and New Treatments for Metastatic Lung Cancer
Doctors and researchers are studying new ways to treat metastatic lung cancer through clinical trials.
Notable metastatic lung cancer clinical trials include:
- Fenbendazole for metastatic lung cancer: A 2024 Anticancer Research report studied the use of fenbendazole, a medication used to treat parasites, for metastatic lung cancer. Doctors in the study noted that fenbendazole was effective and caused minimal side effects.
- Photoimmunotherapy with ASP-1929 and cemiplimab: Doctors are combining the photodynamic therapy ASP-1929 with the immunotherapy cemiplimab for use in treating metastatic NSCLC.
- WSD0922-FU: A new targeted therapy called WSD0922-FU is under investigation to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC whose cancer has a specific mutation.
Your oncology specialist can determine if you qualify to join a metastatic lung cancer clinical trial.
Call (877) 446-5767 for help finding and affording the best treatments for metastatic lung cancer.
Metastatic Lung Cancer Prognosis
The prognosis, or health outlook, for metastatic lung cancer depends on the cancer type, extent of spread, overall health, and treatment response.
The prognosis for lung cancer that has metastasized is typically poor. Many patients only live for 1 year or less. However, long-term survival may be possible in rare instances.
Metastatic Lung Cancer Life Expectancy
Metastatic lung cancer life expectancy with treatment is 4-13 months on average, but some patients can live significantly longer if their cancer responds well to therapies.
For example, Ed has lived for over 10 years after his stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis in 2012. In his case, the cancer had metastasized to his liver but was treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
“There is hope. We are living long lives now, long fruitful lives where we can enjoy being with our family.”
— Ed, metastatic lung cancer survivor
Long-term survival is very rare if treatment isn’t sought. Metastatic lung cancer life expectancy without treatment is just a few months.
Metastatic Lung Cancer Survival Rate
Survival rate measures the percentage of patients still alive a set number of years following a diagnosis. Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer survival rates are not as favorable compared to less-advanced cancers.
The 5-year survival rate for metastatic NSCLC is 9%, according to the ACS. Metastatic SCLC has an even poorer 5-year survival rate at just 4%, as noted in a 2023 Cancer Research and Treatment study.
With that said, survival rates are just averages. It may be possible for you or a loved one to greatly outlive them and become a metastatic lung cancer survivor.
Affording Metastatic Lung Cancer Medical Care
The cost of treating metastatic lung cancer is high and may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases.
Patients diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer may be eligible for financial compensation that can help cover treatment costs and any other expenses they face.
Key metastatic lung cancer treatment options include:
- Lung cancer lawsuits: These lawsuits award $1 million or more in some cases, providing patients and family members with funds to cover medical bills.
- Asbestos trust funds: You may qualify to file claims with trust funds. These trusts contain over $30 billion and award payouts without needing to go to court.
- VA benefits: U.S. veterans with service-connected lung cancer can access over $4,000 a month in disability compensation, free or low-cost medical treatments, and more through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Get a Free Case Review now to explore which benefits and compensation options may be available in your case.
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Get Help for Metastatic Lung Cancer
If you or a loved one has metastatic lung cancer, seeking specialized care is crucial. By getting prompt treatment, you can have a better quality of life and may even become a long-term survivor.
Lung Cancer Group is here to help families after a metastatic lung cancer diagnosis.
Work with our team to:
- Explore top treatments
- Pursue compensation for medical bills
- Understand the resources available after a diagnosis
Metastatic lung cancer can be scary, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Get a Free Lung Cancer Guide or call (877) 446-5767 now to see all the ways our team can assist you and your family.
Metastatic Lung Cancer FAQs
What does metastatic lung cancer mean?
Metastatic lung cancer means tumors have spread outside of the lungs to distant parts of the body. Lung cancer may metastasize to the liver, kidney, bones, brain, or virtually anywhere else.
Doctors must tailor a patient’s treatment plan to destroy as much of the cancer as possible while maintaining a good quality of life.
What is the prognosis for lung metastasis?
The prognosis, or overall health outlook, for metastasized lung cancer is 1 year or less. This is because the tumors are harder to treat due to cancer spread.
With that said, doctors can still recommend different therapies to help reduce symptoms and potentially improve survival. Some patients have gone on to become long-term survivors despite having metastatic lung cancer.
Is metastatic lung cancer stage 4?
Yes, metastatic lung cancer is considered stage 4, which is the most advanced and aggressive stage.
Contact us now for help exploring treatments and compensation for medical bills if you’re facing a metastatic stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.
Where does lung cancer usually metastasize to first?
Lung cancer usually metastasizes to nearby lymph nodes first. The lymph system allows lung cancer cells to spread through the body to distant organs.
The most common sites of distant lung metastasis include the bones, liver, adrenal glands, and brain, according to the Moffitt Cancer Center.
How long can you live with metastatic lung cancer?
The average metastatic lung cancer life expectancy is 1 year or less. However, some lung cancer patients have lived for 10 years or more even with metastatic tumors, thanks to aggressive treatments.
Your lung cancer doctors can determine which treatments will work best in your case.
Can metastatic lung cancer be cured?
Metastatic lung cancer is not usually curable as tumors have spread through the body. However, doctors can recommend different therapies to ease symptoms and potentially improve survival.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to explore treatments that could help you or a loved one after a diagnosis.
