Climax, NC
A 53-year-old female asked:
Life expectancy for lung cancer gone to brain. pet scan shows no other cancer now, only 1 tumor on brain. surgery and whole brsin radiation will be?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Boris Aronzonanswered
Anesthesiology 26 years experience
Factors: Many factors are involved: age, immune system, type of tumor, gender in certain cases, type of chemotherapy , compliance among many others. Your oncologist is the best guide.
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5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Joseph Woodsanswered
Pathology 30 years experience
Difficult to say.: This is considered an advanced cancer, stage IV or distant metastases stage. As you said, surgery and radiation is the treatment for this. However, as to the outcome, it is difficult to say. The 5 year survival of patients with this stage is <5%, but with just one lesion, and all the advances you never know, so see your doctor/oncologist. Best of luck.
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5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Joshua Garrenanswered
Radiation Oncology 26 years experience
"oligometastatic": Patients with a single brain tumor as the only site of metastatic disease are called "oligometastatic." the chance of cure, though small, is real. Every cancer specialist has a few such patients. I would strongly recommend aggressive treatment, including either radiosurgery (cyberknife, gammaknife, etc.) to the brain or surgical resection, and again stereotactic or chemoradiation to the lung.
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4.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Barry Sheppard commented
Thoracic Surgery 36 years experience
The lung cancer should be removed surgically if patient is to be treated for oligometastatic cure. Stereotactic and chemoradiation of the lung mass do not have the proven efficacy of surgical excision.
Jul 28, 2014
Last updated Jan 21, 2020
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