Lung cancer metastasized to the brain, can it still be treated?

  Advanced malignant tumors are prone to distant metastasis, and about 20% of malignant tumors will metastasize to the brain, which is a sign of poor prognosis. In the past, metastasis to the brain was almost declared a “death sentence” because early literature reported that the natural average survival of untreated metastases to the brain was only two to three months. Lung cancer, the incidence of which continues to increase in China, is a common malignant tumor that metastasizes to the brain. With the advancement and development of modern technology, new treatment methods and drugs are constantly emerging. If lung cancer metastasizes to the brain, are there any good treatments available now?  Ms. Yao is 31 years old, a young mother of two children, and she comes to the clinic today for follow-up is in good spirits because the tumor condition in her body is well controlled. Ms. Yao is a patient with brain metastasis of lung cancer. At the end of last year, because of headache and vomiting, MRI found right frontal lobe, as well as right frontal bone and parietal bone lesions; at the same time, chest CT also found right lower lung dorsal segment mass, which is considered lung cancer; double lung nodes are considered lung metastasis; multiple lymph nodes metastasis in right supraclavicular, mediastinum and right hilar; liver S8,S6 nodes are considered metastasis; multiple bone destruction is considered metastasis. In order to relieve the patient’s headache and vomiting as the main contradiction of increased intracranial pressure and to buy time for follow-up treatment, and also to clarify the pathological diagnosis of brain lesions, the lesion responsible for increased intracranial pressure in Ms. Yao’s right frontal lobe and the right frontal bone lesion near this lesion were surgically excised at one time. Molecular testing for metastases in the frontal lobe was also performed, and the lung puncture results confirmed that the lung was a moderate to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Ms. Yao’s headache and vomiting symptoms disappeared after brain surgery, and she was in good physical condition and started oral erlotinib as well as AN regimen chemotherapy treatment. This time, she came to the clinic for a review, she has been treated for more than three months, her mental status is good, there is no recurrence of brain tumor after surgical resection, and metastatic lesions in several areas such as lung, liver, lymph nodes and bone have been significantly reduced or stabilized. Ms. Yao expressed her confidence in the treatment, and she will insist on the follow-up treatment for the sake of her children and family.  Although the primary tumor is in the lung, the symptoms in the lung and other parts of the body are not obvious, but the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure such as headache and vomiting are obvious and life-threatening. The brain tumor can be surgically resected first to reduce the intracranial pressure, so as to gain valuable time for the subsequent treatment. At the same time, through the pathological and molecular diagnosis of the brain tumor, the treatment plan for metastatic and primary tumors in other parts of the body can be formulated.