Metastatic cancer to the lung

Alternative names:

lung cancer - metastatic; lung metastases; metastatic lung cancer; secondary lung cancer

Definition:

The process by which cancer cells are spread from another organ to the lungs.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Metastatic tumors in the lungs are malignancies (cancers) which developed at other sites and spread via the blood stream to the lungs. Common tumors which metastasize to the lungs include breast cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, and Wilms tumor.

Cancer cells may be transported by the blood and lymph systems to other organs in the body. Almost any cancer can spread to the lungs, and metastases are found in 20 to 40% of patients dying of various cancers. The incidence of metastatic cancer to the lung is 6 out of 100,000 people.