The American Cancer Institute estimates that there are 3,000 new mesothelioma cases diagnosed annually. This is a disease that impacts older American men who worked in conditions where asbestos was present including Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The disease begins in the lungs, heart and abdomen. This cancer can metastasize, but medical professionals have found that mesothelioma metastasis in the brain is not very common.
Medical professionals have found that brain metastasis only occurs in 3% of cases. A study was conducted in 2016. It found that, out of 150 cases, only eight patients developed brain metastasis. An international study found that brain metastasis only occurred in 3% of cases. If the condition metastasized, it did so in other parts of the body first.
In asbestos/mesothelioma cases where brain metastasis develops, the cancer travels through local tissues, the lymphatic system or the circulatory system. Symptoms include unexplained muscle weakness, vision changes and speech problems as well as seizures and unexplained headaches, nausea or vomiting. Brain metastasis is still a rare condition that is being researched. So, few patients have received treatment. There are options that can be tried such as chemotherapy, dexamethasone and surgical removal with craniotomy.
Whether you or a loved one is living with mesothelioma and symptoms of brain metastasis are showing up, contacting a doctor is the next step. Given that the medical field considers it a rare condition, if there are any issues in getting a proper diagnosis, there are legal professionals who specialize in this area of the law. Groups that serve and advocate for this community exist, too. A lawyer familiar with asbestos/mesothelioma cases may be able to guide the patient through their rights so that proper medical treatment and care is attained.