My closest friend suddenly developed a lisp; it turns out she has brain cancer

Mental Clarity & Brain Health
1

It started with a lisp, followed by intense neck pain, a slight droop on one side of her face, and then trouble swallowing food.

All of this unfolded in a single week. She is currently in the hospital and requires a feeding tube.

I am looking for someone to help me understand these medical findings. She has shared her portal access with me because she is too overwhelmed and heavily medicated to process it herself. There isn’t a treatment strategy yet, but she was just moved to a specialized hospital where they will begin planning her care.

She appeared to be perfectly healthy just a month ago. Is it possible this tumor has been there for years? What causes something like this? I don’t understand how it fit inside her skull without causing any headaches.

She underwent a two-hour MRI. Also, possibly unrelated, but she experienced an episode of bed-wetting the week before she was admitted, which has never happened before.

Patient details: 42 years old, 5’5”, Caucasian, no prior medical issues. She vapes and drinks alcohol. She weighs roughly 120 lbs. Her parents are both living and there is no family history of cancer.

How serious is this situation? Is it likely to be terminal?

Can a mass of this size actually be treated?

Doctors mentioned the growth is putting pressure on a nerve, which is causing her physical symptoms.

What kind of treatments are available? Should we be investigating options beyond standard care, like stem cell therapy?

She is meeting her oncology team soon at the new facility. I am terrified and just want the honest, unvarnished truth.

Thank you.

FINDINGS:
There is a significant bone-destroying mass located in the right occipital condyle, measuring roughly 4.8 × 3.2 cm (axial), seen on image 11, series 301. The bone is eroding, with invasion into the dura and compression of the right foramen magnum. The right vertebral artery (V3 and proximal V4 segments) appears to be surrounded and potentially restricted by the mass.
A small 8 mm hyperattenuating lesion is visible in the left lateral ventricle atrium (image 31, series 301), which might just be a prominent choroid plexus. There is no evidence of sudden bleeding inside or outside the brain. The distinction between gray and white matter remains normal.

IMPRESSION:
A large, aggressive-looking lytic mass at the right base of the skull (4.8 cm), as described, involving dural invasion and likely encasement of the right vertebral artery. The primary suspicion is bone metastasis. Clinical follow-up is recommended, and an MRI of the IAC with and without contrast should be considered for more detail.

I had to copy and paste the text because the sub wouldn’t let me upload the images, and there is no way I could have typed all those technical terms out. I am in total shock; I keep hoping I’ll wake up from this nightmare.

What stage or grade of cancer would this be?

Mahalo.

25 Likes
2

*She has about two glasses of wine per night, so she isn’t a heavy drinker.
*The facial drooping was specifically on her left side.

3

Hello,

I am so incredibly sorry for what your friend is going through; this is a frightening situation. Looking at the report, the findings are actually different than I anticipated. This mass isn’t originating in the brain tissue itself, but rather in the bone of the skull. It is affecting critical areas (the vertebral artery and nerves passing through the foramen magnum) and has reached the dura, the brain’s protective outer layer.

They believe this is a metastatic growth, meaning the cancer originated in a different part of her body. There isn’t a simple cure here; she will need to work closely with her medical team to determine her goals for care. My heart goes out to her and her loved ones.

4

I appreciate all of you so much. I haven’t been on my phone because I was traveling to her new hospital. I’m here now, and having this information is incredibly helpful while we navigate this overwhelming situation. I’ve read every response and am very grateful for your time.

5

A very important detail here is that she may have a better long-term outlook than if this were a primary brain tumor. It doesn’t appear to be Glioblastoma, and that distinction is massive for her prognosis. It is vital that she sees a skilled Neurosurgeon and a Neurovascular specialist. Depending on the pathology, they might be able to use radiation to treat it after she is stabilized, rather than a full surgical removal.

I assume they have already performed a mammogram and CT scans of her chest, abdomen, and pelvis.

In this scenario, finding a primary cancer elsewhere would actually be the ‘better’ news, as cancers that originate in a single bone and behave this aggressively are often very difficult to manage.

Regardless, I’m sending my support. You are fortunate to have a Neurosurgeon’s perspective here.