Lung cancer spreads around the body when cells break away from the original lump (tumor).

The cells then travel to other parts of your body and start growing there. This is called metastasis. This is a more advanced and serious form of cancer.

Your cancer may spread to parts of your body near your lungs. It may spread to:

It may also spread to other, more distant parts of your body, such as your bones, brain,

 

 

 

 

 

liver
Your liver is a large organ that sits on the right side of your body, just below your rib cage. It does several important things, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.

 

 

 

 

 

liver or

 

 

 

 

 

adrenal glands
You have two adrenal glands. They are on top of your kidneys. Your adrenal glands make hormones that help control your blood pressure, how fast your heart beats and the way your body uses food.

 

 

 

 

 

adrenal glands.

The cancer cells are carried to other parts of your body either in your bloodstream or in a network called the

 

 

 

 

 

lymphatic system
The lymphatic system is the body's way of clearing and cleaning unwanted materials from the blood and tissues. It includes an interconnected network of lymph nodes that filter these materials to see if there is an infection that will require response by the immune system.

 

 

 

 

 

lymphatic vessels.

These lymphatic vessels contain small swellings called

 

 

 

 

 

lymph nodes
Lymph nodes (also called glands) are small, bean-shaped lumps that you cannot usually see or easily feel. They are located in various parts of the body, such as the neck, armpit and groin. Lymph nodes filter the lymph fluid and remove unusual things, such as bacteria and cancer cells.

 

 

 

 

 

lymph nodes. These nodes normally trap germs. To see if your cancer has spread, your doctors will look at lymph nodes near your lungs. These are found in three places:

You may have a

 

 

 

 

 

CT scan
A CT scan is a type of X-ray. It takes several detailed pictures of the inside of your body from different angles. CT stands for computed tomography. It's also called a CAT scan (computed axial tomography).

 

 

 

 

 

CT scan to show whether the lymph nodes have become bigger. However, this does not show whether there are cancer cells present. A sample of cells may be taken from the lymph nodes by putting a small tube into the tissue near the nodes. This is called a biopsy. The cells in the sample are examined under a microscope in the laboratory. It's possible to see whether the cells are cancerous (malignant) or not.

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