Metastasis (or spread) of lung cancer can occur in two different forms.
Metastasis of lung cancer can occur as a LOCAL metastasis or a DISTANT metastasis from the original area where the cancer started.

LOCAL METASTASIS: As the name implies, local metastasis are metastasis (or spread of the cancer) to areas nearby where the tumor originated. Examples of local metastasis are, for example, if the lung cancer spreads to the lymph nodes that are near where the cancer originated. Other examples of local metastasis (or local spread) is if the cancer grows right where it started and it grows into the overlying chest wall and the ribs. These are examples of local metastasis.

DISTANT METASTASIS: Distant metastasis, also as the name implies, are metastasis that occur far away from where the cancer started. Thus, if the cancer starts in a spot in the lungs and spreads to, for example, the bones or the liver or the brain, these are all examples of distant metastasis.

TREATMENT: Local metastasis typically are a better occurrence (in terms of prognosis) than distant metastasis. When the lung cancer spreads locally, sometimes it does not spread too far locally and the lung cancer is still able to be removed surgically. This is what is described in the section which describes the Stage system for lung cancer in this set of lung cancer articles on this web site. The stage of the lung cancer when it is found, tells us just how far the cancer has spread and the ability for the person to have surgery or to not have surgery as a result of that spread.
Distant metastasis are usually unable to have surgery and the treatment for lung cancer that has developed distant metastasis is usually chemotherapy or radiation therapy. As with so many things in life, there are occasional exceptions to this. If a person has distant metastasis from the lung cancer to the brain or to the liver, for example, sometimes these distant metastasis to these organs are small enough that the metastasis themselves may be able to be removed surgically.

All of these concepts and many others are discussed in calm and easy to understand language in the audio CD on Lung Cancer available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.