Metastatic cancer to the lung

Bronchoscopy

Coal workers pneumoconiosis, complicated

Coal workers pneumoconiosis, complicated #2

Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II

Coal workers pneumoconiosis - stage II #2

Lung cancer, frontal chest X-ray

Lung cancer, lateral chest X-ray

Lung with squamous cell cancer - CT scan

Pulmonary nodule, solitary - CT scan

Pulmonary nodule - front view chest X-ray

Respiratory system

Sarcoid, stage II - chest X-ray

Definition

Metastatic cancer to the lung is cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the lungs.

See also: Lung cancer

Alternative Names

Lung metastases

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Metastatic tumors in the lungs are cancers that developed at other sites and spread through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to the lungs. Common tumors that spread to the lungs include:

Bladder cancer
Breast cancer
Colon cancer
Neuroblastoma
Prostate cancer
Sarcoma
Wilm's tumor

However, almost any cancer has the ability to spread to the lungs.

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Metastatic cancer to the lung

Review Date: 09/04/2008
Reviewed By: Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).