American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Practice Exam

The lung cancer is the most common solid tumor that metastasizes to the brain. This occurs due to a few key factors. First, lung cancer has a high incidence and is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality, resulting in a significant number of patients who eventually experience brain metastases. The primary mechanisms behind brain metastasis from lung cancer include hematogenous spread, in which cancer cells intrude into the bloodstream and travel to the brain.

Additionally, certain histological types of lung cancer, such as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have a notable propensity to spread to the central nervous system. The unique biology of these tumors contributes to their ability to invade the brain tissue, often leading to complicated clinical scenarios.

While other solid tumors like breast, colon, and prostate cancers can also metastasize to the brain, they are not as prevalent as lung cancer in this regard. Breast cancer, for instance, usually spreads to the bones, liver, and lungs primarily, while colon cancer typically has a more localized metastatic pattern to the liver. Prostate cancer spreads more often to bones and lymph nodes rather than to the brain. Thus, the characteristics of lung cancer and its metastatic behavior solidify