What is the cause of brain metastasis of lung cancer? There are 3 situations in which lung cancer may have metastasized to the brain

Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the respiratory system. The incidence of brain metastasis of lung cancer is high, reaching 35% to 50%. Headache, vomiting, facial nerve paralysis, hemiplegia, blurred vision, aphasia, muscle weakness, etc. are often the first symptoms and are misdiagnosed as cerebrovascular disease, primary brain tumor, tuberculous meningitis or intracranial hypertension. Therefore, we should improve our understanding of brain metastasis of lung cancer and prevent it before it happens.

Brain metastasis from lung cancer is a common and serious clinical condition and one of the common reasons for the failure of lung cancer treatment. About 20% of patients with small cell lung cancer have brain metastasis when diagnosed, and the incidence of brain metastasis in autopsies of patients with small cell lung cancer is as high as 80%. About 30% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer develop brain metastasis during the course of the disease, among which large cell undifferentiated carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are more common, followed by squamous cell carcinoma.

Why is lung cancer prone to brain metastasis? This is because there are a large number of anastomoses between the cerebral blood vessels and the vertebral arteries and venous arterial plexus that supply the brain, which allows lung cancer cells to bypass the filtration of the pulmonary capillaries and directly metastasize to the brain through the heart and carotid arteries. According to clinical data analysis, if one of the following conditions occurs, you should be highly alert to the beginning or brain metastasis of lung cancer:

1. Middle-aged and elderly people or long-term smokers who have neuropsychiatric symptoms that are difficult to explain by general cerebrovascular disease, such as dizziness, vertigo, irritability, drowsiness, aphasia, muscle weakness, facial nerve paralysis, etc.

2. If lung cancer has been confirmed, routine CT examinations should be performed even if there are no signs of brain metastasis from lung cancer.

3. Patients with signs of intracranial hypertension or local brain damage, such as severe headache, vomiting, anisocoria, hemiplegia, etc., and accompanied by respiratory symptoms or swollen lymph nodes and hoarseness, should also undergo routine chest X-ray examination, sputum examination to look for cancer cells, lymph node biopsy and fiberoptic bronchoscopy for early detection and early treatment.

Treatment of brain metastases from lung cancer In addition to actively treating the primary lung cancer, the control of brain metastases is extremely important. The fundamental treatment is surgery combined with brain radiotherapy.