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Lung Neoplasm With Lymphangitic Metastatic Disease

Lung neoplasm with lymphatic metastatic disease is a lung cancer that has spread to your lymph nodes. According to the National Cancer Institute, each year there are an estimated 219,440 new cases of lung cancer in the United States. This type of cancer is serious as it involves more than one organ system.

  1. Lung Neoplasm

    • Lung neoplasm is another name for lung cancer. Lung cancer occurs when cells in the tissue of your lungs mutate. This usually occurs in the lining of your air passages. There are two types of lung cancer. Both small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer can spread to other organs in your body. Most commonly affected organs are the nearby lymph nodes, brain, liver and bones.

    Lymphatic System

    • Your lymphatic system is a network of organs, ducts and lymph nodes that transport fluid through your body. This fluid distributes immune cells and helps drain fluid from your cells and tissues. There are several lymph nodes close to your lungs. These lymph nodes transport fluid into and out of the lung. If this fluid contains cancer cells it is possible for the lymph nodes to become cancerous.

    Metastatic Disease

    • Metastatic applies to cancer cells have spread from their original site. Cancer cells sometimes break from the original tumor or growth and enter the blood stream or lymphatic system. These cells can invade other organs and begin to duplicate. These new locations are called mets (metastases) of the primary cancer. A lung neoplasm lymphatic metastatic disease is diagnosed by the presence of lung cancer cells in the lymphatic system.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of lung cancer include a cough that does not go away, shortness of breath, constant chest pain, coughing up blood, hoarse voice, fatigue, weight loss for no reason and reoccurring lung infections like pneumonia. If your lung cancer has metastasized in the lymphatic system you may also experience swelling that does not go away. This is due to disruption to the draining of fluid from your cells and tissues. Some of these symptoms can be caused by diseases other than lung cancer. Only testing done by a medical professional can determine if you have lung cancer with lymphatic mets.

    Treatment

    • Treatment options include surgery to remove lung tumors or cancerous lymph nodes, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Often a combination of therapies is used to fight the cancer. Chemotherapy or radiation is used after surgery to ensure that all cancer cells not removed are killed. Chemotherapy or radiation is sometimes used before surgery to shrink tumors to make removal easier.

    Considerations

    • Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking tobacco products, exposure to radioactive gas or breathing harmful substances like chemicals. Avoid inhaling large amounts of air pollution, car exhaust, fumes from manufacturing plants and other chemical fumes. If you inhale contaminated air on regular basis, consider wearing a mask to limit. If you have any of the symptoms associated with lung cancer see your doctor. Treatment is easier and more successful if the cancer is caught before it spreads to any other organ.

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