How Does Lung Cancer Spread?

According to the Center for Disease Control, as many as 107,416 men and 89,271 women are diagnosed with cancer of the lungs each year. Lung cancer is a particularly damaging disease that can quickly metastasize (spread) throughout the body, causing serious health issues, including, in many cases, death.

Lung cancer starts when the DNA of cells within the lung malfunction and mutate. This can occur through a variety of reasons, especially toxic exposure from chemicals in cigarettes or industrial chemicals. As the DNA mutates, the ability of the cell to regulate its own growth is compromised. This causes the cell to grow out of control into large masses called tumors.

Lung cancer tumors start in the lung but rarely do they stay there if left untreated. Small pieces of tumor commonly break off and spread to other areas of the body. The main mode of transportation for these tumor cells is the lymph system. The lymph system is a network of tunnels connected by lymph nodes that transport an immune system substance called lymph throughout the body. Cancer cells often break off and infect lymph nodes, which, in turn, can send infected cells through the lymph vessels to other areas of the body such as the heart, brain or liver. Once in these new areas, the cell branches out new blood vessels, attaching itself to the body's blood and nutrient supply. This allows the single cancer cell to rapidly grow into a tumor in the new area of the body.

Cancer cells can also break off from the primary tumor and be transported to other areas of the body though the bloodstream. Just like the lymph system, blood vessels provide a network of channels all over the body. This allows the cancer cell to migrate to other important organs and cause secondary tumors to develop.

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