Hi,
My husband was diagnosed with an AN six years ago. The tumor was only 9 mm (discovered inadvertantly during an MRI), but has slowly grown to 1.5 cm. When he was first diagnosed, we had never heard of AN, and of course knew nothing about treatment options. We spent quite a bit of time trying to educate ourselves online, and went to Johns Hopkins to speak with both a surgeon and a radiologist there - both recommended their own specialty as the best option (naturally!), so we left with no clear answers.
He's had MRI's each year to monitor tumor growth, which has been slow but steady. Now that his local doctor has said it's time for him to undergo treatment, we are trying to re-educate ourselves, and it seems as though the options haven't changed that much, with the exception of the addition of Proton Beam Therapy to the list of choices. My husband is very much hoping to keep his hearing and facial nerve intact. He already has poor hearing in both ears, which is not related to the AN, so hearing is critical. I'm wondering what experiences you may have had with Proton Beam, or Gamma/Cyber Knife, or the various methods of surgery, that have left hearing/facial nerves working. I really appreciate your help!
Thanks,
Laurie
