Managing Advanced Lung Cancer: Treatment Strategies for Metastasis

When lung cancer reaches a late stage, known as stage IV or metastatic, it signifies that cancerous cells have detached from the primary tumor and spread to other parts of the body via the blood and lymphatic systems. Often, this stage is reached before symptoms appear, making early detection challenging. Despite the spread, the cancer is still named after its original location. For example, if it spreads to the brain, it remains called metastatic lung cancer.

Common metastatic sites include the adrenal glands, bones, brain, and liver. It’s important to distinguish metastatic lung cancer from recurrent cases, as treatment approaches differ depending on whether the cancer has just returned or has spread to new areas.

In cases where the cancer has spread to the liver, drug therapies are typically employed. When metastasis occurs in the brain, radiation therapy is the primary treatment, administered mainly through two methods:
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): This involves targeting high-dose radiation beams at the tumor using specialized machines.
Brachytherapy: An internal form of radiation, this involves placing radioactive implants near or within the tumor to deliver concentrated doses of radiation.

Additional treatments include chemotherapy, often combined with steroids or other drugs. Surgery may be considered but only in select cases.consult an oncologist promptly for personalized treatment options tailored to metastatic lung cancer.