Unfortunately, mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is similar in some ways to all other types. This means that it is able to develop metastasis of the primary tumor, making it a metastatic cancer.
Why does mesothelioma develop metastasis?
Because mesothelioma cancer is constantly developing new mesothelioma cells, and later stages it will reach the bloodstream. This allows it spread to other organs and mass a sufficient number of cells in order to create secondary tumors. Here is some of the metastasis it can develop:
- Brain metastasis
- Heart metastasis
- Liver metastasis
- Bone metastasis
There are just the most common types of metastasis, but in can spread to virtually every part of the body, once it has reached the bloodstream. Unfortunately, most of the times the metastasis created are malignant tumors that will spread further into the body.
Because of the malignant nature of cancerous cells with mesothelioma, the disease caused by asbestos has become such a problem for the medical community to treat. Blood vessels, soft tissue, interior vital organs, all are greatly affected by asbestos and lung cancer, and will eventually develop metastasis.
Facts of mesothelioma metastasis
Mesothelioma will only develop metastasis in the 3rd and 4th stages, when it has already reached the bloodstream. Clinical trials performed on patients in earlier mesothelioma stages have not discovered any kind of severe evolution of asbestos or mesothelioma in the body.
Doctors have studied secondary tumors for some while, and while they can be detected by examining their patient, the development of secondary mesothelioma tumors can only be done with the help of imaging techniques. Treatment methods are similar to those used for the primary tumor. Surgery is the first method used because it allows doctors to remove large amounts of cancer tissue fast and safe (no invasive procedures are used). After the patient has recovered, several types of chemotherapy drugs are used to stop the development of these secondary tumors.
Unfortunately, the appearance of metastases also means that the patient doesn’t have very much time to live anymore. Usually, prognosis of patients that have developed secondary tumors is 3 to 6 months. Similar to the prognosis of a primary tumor, most of the patients live longer then expected.
Please feel free to contact asbestosis and mesothelioma centers and receive the most recent information regarding mesothelioma and the way it evolves. Any kind of information you receive from us is completely free.