Lung Metastases

"It is technically possible to resect all existing pulmonary metastases".

DR. MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ PÉREZ
CODIRECTOR. THORACIC SURGERY DEPARTMENT

Lung metastases are metastatic tumors to the lungs that develop in other locations (primary tumor) and spread through the bloodstream to the lungs.

The most common tumors that metastasize to the lungs are colon cancer, breast cancer, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, melanoma and genitourinary tumors.

However, any type of cancer has the capacity to spread to the lungs.

The Lung Cancer Area, and the interaction of the medical teams integrated in it, has contributed to generate a definitive impulse to the realization of translational research in this malignant lung pathology.

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What are the symptoms of pulmonary metastases?

Patients usually manifest symptoms depending on the pulmonary occupation of these metastases. The most common symptoms are:

  • Dry cough.
  • Bloody sputum (hemoptysis).
  • Breathing difficulty (dyspnea).
  • Chest pain.

Do you have any of these symptoms?

You may have a lung metastasis

¿Cómo se diagnostican las metástasis pulmonares?

<p>TAC pulmon&nbsp;</p>

Lung metastases are usually detected in imaging tests performed at the time of diagnosis or in the clinical follow-up of the primitive tumor, without any symptoms.

If the risk of developing lung metastases is high, as in the case of sarcomas and melanomas, close clinical follow-up is advisable.

The diagnosis of suspected pulmonary metastases is radiological and is established by means of simple chest radiology and high-definition thoracic axial tomography (CT).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest and positron emission tomography (PET) are also used in the process of detecting and confirming such lesions.

How are pulmonary metastases treated?

The treatment of patients with lung metastases is defined by the treatment of the primary tumor.

In chemically sensitive tumors, the treatment of choice is chemotherapy, reserving surgery for the elimination of the residual tumor.

In the case of tumors that do not respond to chemotherapy, the treatment of choice will be surgery, and should be reserved for those patients in whom all lesions can be completely resected. 

The Clinic has a Thoracic Unit that is a pioneer in minimally invasive surgery, both in robotic surgery and videothoracoscopy, with accelerated recovery protocols.

Likewise, radiotherapy can be a treatment strategy for lung metastases that do not respond to chemotherapy, are not candidates for surgical resection and have a location and number that allows the use of the technique. In this context, the recent creation of the Proton Therapy Unit offers the alternative of a treatment of maximum benefit with minimum toxicity in lesions of difficult access or close to risk organs.  

Where do we treat them?

IN NAVARRA AND MADRID

The Lung Cancer Area
of the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra

The Lung Cancer Area is made up of specialists in Pneumology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Thoracic Surgery, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Pathological Anatomy, as well as researchers from the Solid Tumors and Biomarkers Program at the Summit. 

The diagnostic process integrates tumor molecular biology to achieve the most complete diagnosis possible.

Diseases we treat

Imagen de la fachada de consultas de la sede en Pamplona de la Clínica Universidad de Navarra

Why at the Clinica?

  • Integral evaluation of the patient.
  • Possibility of beginning personalized treatment 48 hours after the first consultation.
  • Minimally invasive surgery for the prompt recovery of our patients.

Our team of professionals