How fast lung cancer can spread

There are some types of lung cancer that typically spread faster than others. Small cell lung cancer usually grows and spreads faster than non-small cell lung cancer. There are some forms of non-small cell lung cancer that are also fast-growing, such as large cell undifferentiated carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. When lung cancer spreads, or metastasizes, it can move to nearby tissues or to more distant areas in the body.

Treatment for metastatic lung cancer varies from patient to patient. When lung cancer spreads locally, to nearby tissues such as the lining of the lung or lymph nodes, surgery could be an effective option, whereas radiation therapy or chemotherapy might be more likely to be recommended for lung cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body.

At Moffitt Cancer Center, we take a comprehensive, individualized approach to treatment. Our multispecialty team of surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and other lung cancer experts collaborate to develop a tailored treatment plan for each patient.

This ensures the best possible outcome and quality of life for every one of our patients. The three main kinds of non-small cell lung cancer are named for the type of cells in the tumor:. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in the United States and usually begins along the outer sections of the lungs.

It is also the most common type of lung cancer in people who have never smoked. Large cell carcinomas are a group of cancers with large, abnormal-looking cells.

These tumors may begin anywhere in the lungs and tend to grow quickly. Squamous cell carcinoma is also called epidermoid carcinoma. It often begins in the bronchi near the middle of the lungs. For non-small cell lung cancers that have not spread beyond the lung, surgery is used to remove the cancer. Surgery may also be used in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy in cancers that are more advanced.

These treatments can also be given prior to surgery to shrink tumors and prevent the spread of cancer cells through the blood stream. This is called neoadjuvant therapy. Almost all cases of small cell lung cancer are due to cigarette smoking.

It is a fast-growing cancer that spreads much more quickly than other types of lung cancer. There are two different types of small cell lung cancer:. Surgery is most commonly used in non-small cell lung cancers and less frequently in small cell lung cancer, which tends to spread more quickly to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for small cell lung cancer, as these medicines circulate throughout the body killing lung cancer cells that may have spread outside of the lung.

Radiation therapy is frequently used in combination with chemotherapy when the tumor is confined to the lung and other areas inside of the chest. Radiation therapy may also be used to prevent or treat the development of small cell lung cancer that has spread to the brain metastasis. In radiation therapy, precisely targeted X-rays are used to destroy localized cancer cells.

Radiation therapy can be used to prevent tumor recurrence after surgery, to treat tumors in patients who are not candidates for surgery or to treat tumors causing symptoms in other parts of the body. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the chest lining, most often caused by asbestos exposure.

It accounts for about 5 percent of all lung cancer cases. Mesothelioma develops over a long period time, from 30 to 50 years between exposure to asbestos and getting the cancer. Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed, it is staged, which tells the patient and doctors how large the tumor is and where is has progressed beyond the initial site.

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can all be part of the treatment for mesothelioma. Combined approaches that utilize these therapies together — particularly using chemotherapy prior to surgery, as well as new drugs that specifically target mesothelioma cells — are currently being tested. Lung cancer specialists at Johns Hopkins use surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or all three to treat mesothelioma.

Chest wall tumors are rare. Like other cancers, tumors found in the chest wall may be malignant or benign. Malignant tumors must be treated. Benign tumors will be treated depending on where they are located and the symptoms they cause.

If a tumor presses against a lung so that a patient can't breathe, for example, then it must be treated. Tumors found in the chest wall are also categorized by whether they are primary tumors starting in the chest wall or metastatic tumors spread to the chest wall from cancer that started elsewhere, such as in the breast. All metastatic tumors are malignant. In children, most chest wall tumors are primary, while they are more often metastatic in adults. For people with bone or liver metastases from lung cancer, excessive weight loss, ongoing tobacco use, or pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease or emphysema, treatment may not be as effective.

The average age of people with lung cancer in the United States is The next section in this guide is T ypes of Treatment. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide. Stage I A stage I lung cancer is a small tumor that has not spread to any lymph nodes, making it possible for a surgeon to completely remove it. Stage I is divided into 2 substages based on the size of the tumor: Stage IA tumors are 3 centimeters cm or less in size. Stage IB tumors are more than 3 cm but 4 cm or less in size.

Stage II Stage II lung cancer is divided into 2 substages: A stage IIA cancer describes a tumor larger than 4 cm but 5 cm or less in size that has not spread to the nearby lymph nodes. Stage IIB lung cancer describes a tumor that is 5 cm or less in size that has spread to the lymph nodes. A stage IIB cancer can also be a tumor more than 5 cm wide that has not spread to the lymph nodes. Stage IV Stage IV means the lung cancer has spread to more than 1 area in the other lung, the fluid surrounding the lung or the heart, or distant parts of the body through the bloodstream.

Stage IVB has spread outside of the chest to more than 1 place in 1 organ or to more than 1 organ. Types of Cancer. Medical Illustrations. Risk Factors and Prevention. Symptoms and Signs. Types of Treatment. About Clinical Trials.