How Lung Cancer Spreads: Tracking Metastasis Paths
Lung CancerNavigating Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

How Lung Cancer Spreads: Tracking Metastasis Paths

How Lung Cancer Spreads: Tracking Metastasis Paths
Everyday Health
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Updated on August 20, 2026
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It’s common for lung cancer to metastasize, or spread. In fact, over 40 percent of people with lung cancer are diagnosed when the cancer has already metastasized.

Lung cancer also has a preferred path, traveling most often to the bones, brain, adrenal glands, and liver.

Why Does Lung Cancer Spread So Easily?

Lung cancer may metastasize readily because the lungs are a cellular traffic hub of the body.

“The job of the airway is to deliver oxygen to all of your cells, so it’s easy for cancer cells to get from the airway lining to the blood and spread to other organs,” says Paul Bunn, MD, a professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), which accounts for about 15 percent of all lung cancers, is the most aggressive and fast-growing type of the disease. It typically originates in the bronchi (breathing tubes) in the center of the chest, growing into large tumors and metastasizing to other parts of the body.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a more common type of lung cancer, grows more slowly, but it can spread to other parts of the body before one notices any symptoms.

Why Do Lung Cancer Cells Spread to Certain Organs?

“Some organs produce a cellular signal that draws a particular cancer into it,” says Douglas Arenberg, MD, a professor of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. That’s where lung metastases are usually found.

Scientists sometimes refer to it as the "seed and soil" hypothesis, with the tumor as the seed and the organ receptive to it as the soil.

 Once cancer cells arrive at a particular organ, its microenvironment (such as bone marrow or adrenal tissue) provides what the cancer cells need to survive and produce secondary tumors.

Cancer is always named after the place in the body in which it originated. So if lung cancer spreads to the brain, it’s called metastatic lung cancer, not brain cancer.

Where Does Lung Cancer Commonly Spread?

While lung cancer can spread to many areas of the body, certain places are more common.

Bones

Approximately 30 to 40 percent of people with NSCLC develop bone metastasis over the course of the disease, and 60 percent already have metastases at the time of diagnosis.

Lung cancer that spreads to the bones typically affects the ribs, pelvis, spine, and long bones in the body, but it can spread to any bone. The cancer’s spread may be seen on imaging, but it often isn’t diagnosed until it causes pain or other problems.

Tests such as a bone scan, CT scan, MRI, PET scan, and X-ray can detect cancer that has moved to the bones.

Brain

About 16 to 20 percent of people with lung cancer develop brain metastases, depending on factors such as the type of tumor mutation.

 Symptoms of brain metastases may include difficulty talking, headaches, loss of balance, memory problems, seizures, and vision changes.

Doctors can spot lung cancer that has spread to the brain in a CT scan or MRI.

Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands (small glands located on top of the kidneys) are another common site of lung cancer metastasis, occurring in approximately 10 percent of people with lung cancer.

Usually, cancer that spreads to the adrenal glands doesn’t cause symptoms, but, in rare cases, it may trigger back or abdominal pain.

Doctors can perform scans to determine whether the cancer has traveled to the adrenal glands.

Liver

Between 17.5 and 20.5 percent of people diagnosed with SCLC and 3 percent of those with other types of lung cancer develop liver metastasis.

 In most cases, lung cancer that has metastasized to the liver carries a worse prognosis than other metastasis locations, with an overall survival of three to six months.

Lung cancer that moves to the liver may not cause symptoms. When it does, symptoms may include fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), loss of appetite, nausea, pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, sweats, and weight loss.

Doctors can perform tests such as an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, and PET scan to look for cancer that has spread to the liver.

Does Size Matter?

There’s a misconception that cancer must reach a certain size before it’s capable of spreading, but there’s no size threshold that allows a cancer to metastasize, says Dr. Arenberg. Some cancers metastasize before they’re even detectable.

That said, larger tumors are more likely to spread. “One way to look at a tumor is that every day it’s sort of playing the lottery,” says Arenberg. “The more cells there are, the more likely it is that a few will win the lottery and gain the ability to invade the bloodstream or lymph system.”

For this reason, early detection is often key to better odds of survival.

Can Metastasis Be Detected Before Symptoms Appear?

A number of tests, including blood tests, bone scans, CT scans, and MRIs, can be performed to look for metastases. Which tests are conducted depends on a person’s symptoms. The generally accepted course, according to Arenberg, is to mention any symptoms to your doctor, and then the metastases can be treated to control those symptoms and improve your quality of life.

What Should You Look For?

Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms that are out of the ordinary, especially those that could indicate metastasis, such as:

  • Any kind of new pain
  • Neurological symptoms, such as a new headache, weakness, and changes in your ability to walk or grip things
  • Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite
  • Fatigue or weakness
  • Jaundice

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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