Meningioma, Advice, please

koralche · New User Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 2

Hello Everybody,

A few weeks ago my mother and father got into a car accident. They were fine but I made them go and check their physical condition with the doctors. Next thing I know my mom called me to say that the doctors found a meningioma in her brain. It is 2.6 cm big and it is outside the brain. She doesn't have the sympthoms that people with meningioma usually have - seizures and headaches. She had a perfectlly normal life until now. The doctors said that she needs a surgery to remove the meningioma as soon as possible. We don't know if it is growing when did it appear. It was the first time my mom goes to check her head and found the thing.
I have spent my time looking at the internet sites and searching for a cure. From what i have read so far there are two options: Gamma Knife and surgery. My mother is very scared that she might die if she has the surgery, and they told her that her meningioma is too big to have Gamma knife, and also that Gamma knife will not solve the problem - it will simply make the meningioma smaller and prevent it from growing for a few years. The surgery on the other side they say has 5% risk of not surviving and she is really scared of that risk, so am i.
From what i have read i can not get a clear answer is Gamma knife a temporary decision or does it remove the tumor forever?
Whan else can we do? Can you reccommend us a hospital? Can anybody advice us what to do?

brainman · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 7:37 am Post subject: Re: Meningioma, Advice, please

Hi koralche, although I am not a doctor nor have a personally had a menigioma, I have had brain cancer twice... once without surgery and once with surgery. I looked at my options as well. A gamma knife is good for cancer below a certain size (I do not remember the exact size). However, if it is a longer size, then surgery is the only way to debluk it. There will always be a risk of a recurrence regarless of which obtion she chooses although the exact chances of recurrence I do not know for a menigioma.

As far as the surgery itself, I had very little problems... hardly any pain, and great results. I am on anti-seizure medication and will be on it for the rest of my life. However, I still live a relativily productive and meaningful life. I would expect the same for your mother. She may have to take medication for seizures for the rest of her life as when.

Any major or regional medical center should be able to provide your mother with the same level of treatment. If she has a recurrence later, then she may have go somewhere that has the most sofisticated equipment and doctor on the cutting edge of technology.

I will keep your mother in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us informed.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

jebby53 · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 1:52 am Post subject: Re: Meningioma, Advice, please

Hello Koralche,

I am a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed with a menigioma on December 22, 2005, and had surgery to remove it on December 27. I was surprised that there was little pain after the surgery. In fact, my skull was quite numb for about 9 months after the surgery. The complications she might experience have a great deal to do with where her tumor is located. The good news is that menigiomas are usually benign. I was diagnosed after complaining to my oncologist of memory problems I was experiencing. I thought it was chemo brain. He sent me for an mri as a precaution and the rest is history. As for the risks of death from surgery, five percent are really very low odds when you consider the complications she may be facing if the menigioma is not removed and continues to grow. My brain was pushed considerably past the midline by the time my meningioma was discovered and the pressure would have eventually caused a stroke.

I would recommend that you find the Menigioma Mommas group and ask for recommendations for neurosurgeons based on where your mom lives. There are many excellent neurosurgeons in our country.

Debby

koralche · New User Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 2

Thank you for your replies Smile

thank you debbie for telling me about meningioma mommies, that is exactly the place i needed to go to as to compare my mom situation with other people's and gain more confidence that everything is going to be okay. Smile

I will keep you posted on any development, so far we are thinking about operation.

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Brain Tumors Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others