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Is Neck Cancer Metastasized In Lung Worse Than Lung Cancer?
Question: My sister was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the lung. The doctors did a biopsy and recently found out that its more than likely a head/neck cancer in the lung rather than lung cancer(75 percent). My question is, based on this info, is head/neck cancer in the lung better or worse than lung cancer type in the lung? There was a 12 percent chance that its breast. I realize that stage4 is bad in general, but wanted to get a general prognosis and comparison of these cancer types. I searched online and got very little info about head/neck metastasis in the lung. Any info would be great on what is potentially better or worse.
Brief Answer:
The prognosis is very bad.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I am sorry to know about your sister. I have carefully gone through the details that you have provided. Let me mention that the staging and grading of cancer is done based on its spread. Stage 4 indicates that metastasis has already occurred. In other words, the cancer has already affected multiple organs and is not restricted to the lungs alone. It seems that the doctor has suggested that the metastasis is likely to have affected the mentioned organs and the probabilities could be the percentages mentioned. It could be that when the biopsy was taken, the spread had already occurred and that the sampling had been done from what appears to be a secondary (caused due to spread) one. The primary source seemed more likely to be in the lungs (75%) or in the breast (12%) and so on. If you could upload the exact statement given by the doctor, I would perhaps be better able to guide you.
Once the spread has occurred, nothing can really be done about it and all efforts would be futile at this stage
Hope that clarifies your query.
Regards
The prognosis is very bad.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I am sorry to know about your sister. I have carefully gone through the details that you have provided. Let me mention that the staging and grading of cancer is done based on its spread. Stage 4 indicates that metastasis has already occurred. In other words, the cancer has already affected multiple organs and is not restricted to the lungs alone. It seems that the doctor has suggested that the metastasis is likely to have affected the mentioned organs and the probabilities could be the percentages mentioned. It could be that when the biopsy was taken, the spread had already occurred and that the sampling had been done from what appears to be a secondary (caused due to spread) one. The primary source seemed more likely to be in the lungs (75%) or in the breast (12%) and so on. If you could upload the exact statement given by the doctor, I would perhaps be better able to guide you.
Once the spread has occurred, nothing can really be done about it and all efforts would be futile at this stage
Hope that clarifies your query.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks dr. I understand that theres no going back fron this. Any idea what the general survival rate is for head/neck metastasis in lung? Is it worse or better than primary lung cancer typ, relatively speaking?e
Brief Answer:
You should let her be as she is now.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
The survival rate is very bad and I am sorry to say that you should assume that nothing more can be done. It would perhaps be best not to try to prolong life as the quality of life is likely not to be good. In such a situation, it does not really matter where exactly the primary lesion was located.
Regards
You should let her be as she is now.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
The survival rate is very bad and I am sorry to say that you should assume that nothing more can be done. It would perhaps be best not to try to prolong life as the quality of life is likely not to be good. In such a situation, it does not really matter where exactly the primary lesion was located.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks again. She's aware of the severity, and doesn't even like the idea of doing chemo, but we'll have to see until we talk to the doctor in two weeks how to move forward. You asked about uploading doctor's statement. I don't have an image of it, but I can tell you that this was a "molecular cancer classifier" test by "Bio Theranostics" 12% breast adenocarcinoma, 75% head and neck salivary gland. The current oncologist/doctors are disputing this results because they haven't seen any cancer in those areas and have asked for another biopsy, and this is where we currently are.
Brief Answer:
It is a tool to help the clinician decide upon the chemotherapy regimen
Detailed Answer:
Thanks again.
Molecular cancer classifier uses gene expression profiling to grade cancers. When the gene expression relates to respective areas, they give the likelihood of that region being affected. That is of relevance to the person who would be determining how to treat it. You need not worry about these technicalities.
Regards
It is a tool to help the clinician decide upon the chemotherapy regimen
Detailed Answer:
Thanks again.
Molecular cancer classifier uses gene expression profiling to grade cancers. When the gene expression relates to respective areas, they give the likelihood of that region being affected. That is of relevance to the person who would be determining how to treat it. You need not worry about these technicalities.
Regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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