For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

Here are a few links that might be helpful in being able to understand symptoms of brain mets. Feel free to add any other references you might have.

Cancer: Four symptoms that could suggest brain metastasis
http://www.cityofhope.org/blog/cance...ain-metastasis

Talking about Symptoms | BrainMetsBC.org
http://www.brainmetsbc.org/en/conten...about-symptoms


Here's s link that discusses the types of neurological testing we undergo with brain mets. You can do some of these in front of a mirror to see how your facial muscle control is, the balance ones can also be done at home. Some of the tests are best done with another person such as touch your nose then touch the moving finger.

http://www.abta.org/brain-tumor-info...ical-exam.html

Re: For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

Cerebellar Tumor Symptoms

These are the soft symptoms I experienced with my cerebellar tumor. They are listed in increasing complexity in case it helps:

- Dizziness (vestibular issue)
- Loss of balance (ataxia)
- Increased pain upon waking, took a while to get used to sitting upright (got progressively worse, caused by cerebral edema)
- Sore neck and shoulder where I never injured them before (pressure on occipital nerve)
- Inability to carry a purse
- Symptoms of occipital and trigeminal neuralgia
- driving pain sensations on right side of head and face
- difficulty walking
- need to keep head in straight, neutral position, started wearing neck brace
- inability to sleep flat on back
- head spins when laying down
- needing to use ice pack on back of head to control pain
- increasing symptoms of pain and nausea
- uncontrollable nausea
- inability to self-care
- loss of appetite

Re: For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

Copying this over from the brain mets research thread


Medscape: Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis
http://emedicine.medscape.com/articl...38-clinical#b1

"Meningeal symptoms are the first manifestations in some patients; however, most patients already have widespread and progressive cancer with few therapeutic options left."

It looks like there are three main pathways of symptom progression:

"Involvement of the CNS is divided into the following 3 broad anatomical groups:

Cerebral involvement results in headache, lethargy, papilledema, behavior changes, and gait disturbance (the latter can be due to either cerebellar or cauda equina involvement). Major dysfunction, such as hemiparesis and hemisensory loss or visual field defects, is rare and more indicative of parenchymal metastasis.

Cranial-nerve involvement presents with impaired vision, diplopia (most common), hearing loss, and sensory deficits, including vertigo. Palsies of cranial nerves III, V, and VI are most common; palsy of nerve VII is less common. Solid tumor-derived LC has a higher affinity for the optic and extraocular nerves, while leukemic meningitis preferentially affects the facial nerve. Involvement of multiple cranial nerves is the rule rather than the exception.

Spinal-root involvement is caused by either meningeal irritation, presenting with nuchal rigidity (15%) and neck and back pain (rare), or invasion of the spinal roots. The latter can cause leg weakness, radiculopathy (usually lumbar, mimicking a herniated disk), reflex asymmetry or loss (most common, noted in 70% of patients), sphincter incontinence (less common), positive Babinski reflexes, paresthesias, and numbness. Asymptomatic bladder enlargement can occur from spinal cord compression. Spinal-root symptoms are usually followed by cranial-nerve symptoms. Nuchal rigidity, positive results on the straight-leg raising test, and decreased rectal tone are rare."

Re: For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

Brain Tumor Symptoms
http://www.milesforhope.org/index.ph...tumor-symptoms

"Do not be hesitant to share your concerns of having a brain tumor. This way your doctor can address your concerns early on and explain what he or she suspects is the cause of your symptoms and why."

Re: For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

I never had any symptoms with the 2.6 cm lesion in the left frontal lobe. The tumor was found incidentally on a second, annual routine scan ... which I had convinced my oncologist to start doing annually. HER2+ has a greater probability to spread to the brain.

I remember her phone call in 2008: We both kept saying, I don't believe this. I don't believe this. Of course it was true, but I think we were shocked that a met actually showed up.

Re: For Reference: Symptoms of brain mets
 

Bumping this up