Metastatic Lung Cancer Survival Rate
Metastatic cancers are the cancers that are characterized by their origin. These cancers, even after spreading to another organ, are still identified by the name of the organ they started from. For instance, if lung cancer affects another organ, say the liver, it will be called metastatic lung cancer and not liver cancer. It should be noted that metastatic cancer is not the same as second primary cancer. The survival rate of metastatic lung cancer is different from that of the second primary cancer. Abnormal cells in a new organ are part of metastases only when the cells show similarity to primary cancer, whereas second primary cancer involves the new growth of abnormal cells which are not similar to cancer cells belonging to any other part of the body. The latter kind of cancer is also rare. Some of the organs most commonly affected in metastatic lung cancer include the lymph nodes, brain, liver, adrenal glands, and bones. Although not completely impossible, but, in rare cases, it may also spread to the stomach, intestines, pancreas, and kidneys. Metastatic lung cancer survival rate indicates the rate of people who are alive after a specific period of time following the diagnosis. Five years is the time period that is taken as the base to calculate survival rate.