Are you looking for it services & solution provider?
Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 07 Aug 2024
Signs That Lung Cancer Has Spread To Your Brain
Statistics say around 15-20 adults with non-small cell lung cancer have brain metastasis when they are first diagnosed
If lung cancer is not caught early, there are chances it may metastasize and spread to other parts of your body, particularly the brain. According to experts, it would mean that the primary cancer has created a secondary cancer in the brain.
Statistics say around 15-20 per cent of adults with non-small cell lung cancer have brain metastasis when they are first diagnosed. Up to 40 per cent develop brain metastases during their lung cancer journey. Doctors say if you have metastatic lung cancer, the odds of survival are poor. However, for those who develop brain mets, the outcome might be worse. On average, most people with brain mets survive less than 6 months after diagnosis.
What is the link between brain and lung cancer?
Doctors say undetected lung cancer cells spread through lymph nodes and the blood supply to different parts of the body, including the brain. While the link is not fully understood, some animal studies show that when lung cancer cells travel to the brain, they quickly build blood vessel branches. It gives them the blood supply to survive and multiply rapidly. Some other research has also pointed out that nicotine from cigarette smoke may play a role.
According to WebMD, there are a few other theories that suggest that targeted treatments for lung cancer usually do not reach the tumours within your brain, and mutation-based cancer cells may also have a genetic tendency to travel to your brain.
Signs and symptoms of brain metastases
Experts say brain metastases do not always lead to symptoms. However, if they do, the symptoms may be focal – related to a specific part of your brain where tumour is, or global – all over.
Focal symptoms may include:
Slurred speech
Blurry vision
Feelings of numbness and weakness
Unsteadiness
Problems in talking
However, symptoms of a global brain metastases, which may affect your overall brain function, are:
Severe headaches caused by brain swelling
Decrease in memory, attention, and reasoning
Nausea and vomiting
Difficulty speaking
Personality changes
Seizures
According to doctors, you may also have a bleed – also known as hemorrhagic stroke from the tumour. Bleeding inside the brain is a medical emergency that often requires surgery.
Ways to diagnose brain metastasis
To diagnose brain metastasis, your doctor will run a few tests and exams, like:
Neurological test: Here all your brain-related functions will be checked, which include your vision, hearing, balance, coordination, reflexes, and strength.
Imaging tests: This helps find and diagnose brain tumours with the help of a dye - an injectable ink gave into your arm. During the scan, the dye will make the tissues and blood vessels in your brain appear more clearly and in more detail.
CT scan: In many cases, brain mets are detected even before they diagnose you with lung cancer with the help of a CT scan.
PET scan: It is conducted through a positron emission tomography
Biopsy: If a tumour or a mass is found, a small sample is taken with a needle to make sure that it is metastatic lung cancer through a process called a biopsy. The sample is checked under a microscope to see if the cells are cancerous.
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.