Mesothelioma Metastasis

As with any other cancer, mesothelioma cells have the potential to spread throughout the body, affecting organs and lymph nodes in other locations than the original source. Thankfully, observation of mesothelioma cases has illustrated that mesothelioma does not generally progress to the bones or adrenal glands. Although rare cases have been reported when mesothelioma has spread to the brain, it most often presents a "local spread," moving to the organs near the lungs on the side of the body where the tumor originated.

Mesothelioma is thought to metastasize more quickly than other cancers primarily because it is most often located in and around the lungs. As the lungs work to transport oxygen throughout the body, the mesothelioma cells may be able to enter the bloodstream and travel to other locations.

Discovering Mesothelioma's Metastasis

When a patient complains of symptoms that are typically not related to their current diagnosis, their physician may suggest imaging tests such as MRIs or CT scans. Other tests such as biopsies may be performed. In the case of a biopsy to remove the entire originally discovered tumor, a pathologist can examine the edges of the cells. "Positive margins" suggest a possible metastasis while "negative margins" indicate that the cancer was contained to the initial tumor.

Treating Metastasized Mesothelioma

Once mesothelioma has spread, a patient's physician must adjust the treatment plan to address the metastasis. By this point in the cancer's progression, generally only palliative treatments are offered to help alleviate symptoms and ease pain. If discovered during an early stage of development, mesothelioma can be treated with therapies that have a better chance of curing the cancer.