Doctors thought man had deadly brain cancer — the reality was much grosser
Man's 'deadly brain cancer' turns out to be something grosser
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Doctors thought man had deadly brain cancer — the reality was much grosser
By Rachel Sacks Published June 29, 2026, 10:11 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleTalk about a wriggly situation.
When a man in Spain went to the hospital with chronic headaches, brain scans showed poorly defined lesions, or tissue where the edges are blurred due to abnormal cell growth.
Doctors believed all signs were pointing to deadly cancer that had spread — until they took a closer look. The good news? He could be cured. The bad news? The real problem would make most people squirm.
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After an initial scan, the medical team performed a higher-resolution MRI to determine the location of any tumors.
While no tumors were present, a different kind of specimen was — pork tapeworm larvae.
Published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, the report confirmed the parasitic infection with a blood test specific to Taenia solium, despite the 60-year-old Castellón native having never traveled abroad.
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The parasite enters the human body when larval eggs are swallowed, and they burrow into the gut and form fluid-filled cysts.
The eggs can then develop into adult tapeworms in a human’s gut. The process usually takes around 5 to 12 weeks.
The cysts can travel anywhere in the body, and can infiltrate and calcify in soft tissue.
While eating undercooked pork is one way to ingest adult tapeworms, the man’s condition was from ingesting the eggs, which then settled in the brain, a condition called neurocysticercosis.
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The parasitic infection of the brain can cause headaches, seizures, dizziness, muscle weakness, trouble speaking and memory issues.
If left untreated, neurocysticercosis can cause life-threatening complications such as intracranial hypertension, or increased pressure inside the skull, and continuous seizures.
While cases are rare in Europe, they’re not entirely unknown, as a similar case occurred in Germany earlier this year.
According to the World Health Organization, around 2.8 million people are infected with Taenia solium yearly, with cases frequently reported in Asia, South America and Eastern Europe.
Treatment can differ depending on the patient, but antiparasitic drugs are often a first-line therapy — as was the case with the Spanish man, who was treated with albendazole and praziquantel.
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Other treatments may include anti-inflammatory medication to reduce inflammation, and drugs to manage symptoms of seizures, headaches and pressure inside the skull.
Last year, another case of a pork tapeworm infection went viral when Sam Ghali, an emergency room doctor, shared the seriously disturbing scan on X.
He described it as one of the “most insane” he’s ever seen, noting that the entire cross-section of the patient’s trunk was riddled with the parasite.
The unidentified patient likely developed the condition after eating raw or undercooked pork infected with the parasite’s larval cysts.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
