Understanding Your Stage of L... Health Article

Lung cancer acts differently in each person. The way a cancer grows is called its pathophysiology. The first place cancer is found in the body is called the primary site or primary tumor. When a cancer spreads, it is said to have metastasized. The stage of your cancer is based on the size of a tumor and where and how much it has spread. There are different stages for non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.

How Lung Cancer Spreads

The first place lung cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes in the center of your chest. These lymph nodes are called mediastinal lymph nodes. Lung cancer may also spread to the lymph nodes in your lower neck. In its later stages, it may spread to distant parts of your body, such as your liver, brain, or bones.

There are also several kinds of cancer--such as breast or kidney cancer--that can spread to your lungs. When this happens, the cancer is not called lung cancer. This is because cancer is usually named for the site where the cancer starts. For example, if breast cancer spreads to your lungs, it will be treated as metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.