Resources for coping with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If lung cancer spreads
Cancer cells can spread from the lung to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.
Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If lung cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:
- lymph nodes in and around the lung and the chest and around the collarbone
- membranes around the lung, chest and heart
- chest wall
- diaphragm
- windpipe (trachea)
- spine
- the other lung
- esophagus
- heart
- adrenal glands
- liver
- bones
- brain
lymph node
A small, bean-shaped mass of lymphatic tissue along lymph vessels (tubes through which lymph fluid travels in the body). Lymph nodes store lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell that fights germs, foreign substances or cancer cells) and filters bacteria and foreign substances (including cancer cells) from lymph fluid.
chest wall
The area of the body between the neck and the abdomen. It includes the rib cage, muscles and tissues that move during breathing.
The chest wall protects the lungs, heart and liver.
diaphragm
The thin muscle below the lungs and heart that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen.
When the diaphragm contracts, the lungs expand and take in air. When it relaxes, the lungs deflate and push air out.
esophagus
The muscular tube in the neck and chest through which food passes from the pharynx (throat) to the stomach.
Esophageal means referring to or having to do with the esophagus, as in esophageal cancer.
Also called the gullet.
adrenal gland
A small gland on top of each kidney that produces a variety of hormones involved in different body functions, including metabolism (the chemical processes needed for cell function, growth and reproduction), heart rate, blood pressure and controlling blood sugar levels.
