Hi Mike ~
I hope you can accept yet another welcome because I'm offering that - and an echo of the previous comments.
The initial AN diagnosis then learning about the array of available treatment options, their risks and rewards, can be daunting, I know. I suggest you take a few deep breaths and not push yourself to read everything available in a short time. Fortunately, your AN is relatively small and that gives you breathing room, as it were.
As you'll soon learn, both surgery and irradiation have their own, unique risks. You'll read accounts of AN patients with really challenging obstacles following surgery or radiation. You'll also read about AN patients who experienced very positive outcomes from either approach. Then, there are the anomalies, such as folks like me that underwent AN de-bulking surgery (partial tumor resection) then, FSR (targeted radiation in small does, spread out over weeks). I had an excellent outcome - almost no complications or resulting deficits. However, I have to caution you, as I caution all 'newbies' (newly diagnosed AN patients) that one person's experience, be it with surgery or radiation - or both - and their outcome, be it good or not-so-good, is not an accurate indicator that should you choose the same form of treatment, you'll have a similar outcome. This situation involves a level of risk. Nothing can be guaranteed. That's the hard part. The good part is that you can count on our membership for information and suggestions based on real-life experiences. We're eager to help and welcome the opportunity to respond as best we can to your questions. Consider this your 'AN home'.
Jim
