When cancer spreads (metastasizes) to the brain, you're understandably filled with questions and fears: What should you do? How long do you have left? Where should you get care?
With so many unknowns to navigate, knowledge is powerful. Knowing the facts can help guide the critical decisions ahead of you. And ensure you get the highest quality of life for the longest time possible — whatever that looks like for you.
We asked our experts in the UVA Health brain metastases program to set the record straight on common myths.
Myth #1: If Your Cancer Spreads to the Brain, You Have Very Little Time Left
Fact: It's true that some patients don't survive long with brain metastases. But that's not the case for everyone.
Survival time after cancer metastasizes to the brain depends on many factors, including:
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- How sick you are when you're diagnosed with brain metastases
- How quickly you start treatment
- Your specific cancer
One patient in the UVA Health program, David Lunt, learned he had lung cancer and more than 30 lesions on his brain in August 2023. He assumed the worst and quickly started getting his affairs in order.
The team recommended a treatment to target a specific mutation they saw in his lung cancer. It worked against his brain lesions and lung tumor. Lunt returned to his normal life and is still doing well. Read his story.
Myth #2: Treating Brain Metastases Is the Same as Treating Other Cancers
Fact: Brain metastases is different from other types of cancer in many important ways. For example, many medicines used to treat cancer can't cross the blood-brain barrier. That's the brain's special defense system that keeps dangerous substances from getting to the brain.
This is why getting care from experts who specialize in brain metastases is so important.
Myth #3: All Cancers Have the Same Likelihood of Spreading to the Brain
Fact: There are 5 cancers that are most likely to metastasize to the brain:
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Melanoma
- Kidney cancer
- Colon cancer
If you have one of these, it's important to know the symptoms of brain metastases. Be sure to report any signs to your team. They may also recommend getting imaging tests regularly. That can help catch cancer that's spread sooner.
