MRI says no growth-measures smaller than before

[Cityview]

Probably due to variability in measuring techniques and different radiologists each time, the tumor measures smaller than 6 months ago. I know there must be a margin of error in this, but it was nice to read that! All the more reason for me not to panic, but to be patient.

I guess I'm having a good couple of months as my thyroid cancer was down staged from stage 2 to 1.

It has been worth every effort to be fussy and see the best specialists in my City. I have very high standards and I've done an excellent job with my choices.

I truly have much to be thankful for.

[alabamajane]

Good luck with your thyroid cancer also,, it is very easily treated and curable. I have been cancer free since my 2004 surgery and radioactive iodine treatment. "Easy-breezy" compared to AN diagnosis and treatment !!! 

[dankar1016]

hi there,  I'm also a thyca survivor, 4 years ago I lost my thyroid and found 40 pounds.  Tomorrow is my second MRI to see what's going on.  The first one was 3 months ago, I had a terrible ear infection and an incidental finding of an AN 8 mm.  PRAYING that hasn't grown.  The ear ringing and head aches are driving me nuts though.  How long ago did you have thyca?  I have to wonder if the RAI caused the AN.

[alabamajane]

Hi,
I had my cancer detected in 2004 after following several thyroid nodules for about 25 yrs. had surgery and RAI treatment same year. AN diagnosed incidentally in 2008. Mine was about 2.5 CM when discovered so probably had been there awhile. Who knows!    ,,they are slow growing generally.

[dankar1016]

Cityview,  Thank you!  My MRI went well, mine actually appeared have to have decreased in size as well.  It was 8mm 3 months ago and now its 7 mm.  So watch and wait I stay.  I do want to talk to my doctor at my appointment next week if the AN is causing my headaches or if its something else. If I can just makes the aches go away, I can deal with the ringing and the small hearing loss. No rush to treat mine either.  Take care!

[rodneyd]

Hi Cityview,

Sounds like you have a very good surgeon working to remove your thyca.  Great news and best of luck with the treatment.

I have a small (1.1 x .8 cm) that I have been watching and waiting to see how it is progressing.  I have known about it for 3 years and it has grown slightly during that time.  My main symptom has been balance issues with some slight tinnitus.   

You mentioned in one of your postings that radiation is a risk factor for getting an acoustic neuroma.  I have seen nothing about this in any literature that I have researched.  If you have a source for this, would you mind sharing it? 

Thank you,

Rod

[Citiview]

The ANA website makes reference to prior radiation being a risk factor for developing a vestibular schwannoma:


https://www.anausa.org/overview/what-is-acoustic-neuroma#cause-or-etiology-of-acoustic-neuroma

Sometimes I wish there were accompanying citations for the information that is provided, so that we can find it in the literature.

[Blw]

Not sure about that. There is a study about cancer arising after radiation, at least for schwannomas. There is less than a handful. I think the quot eis 1:10,000 chance, but the doctors would say it is probably less than 1:20,000. As far as general head radiation. Think about all the head and neck cancers that get treated by radiation. Add oral cancers, salivary gland cancer, gliomas, other types of cancer of the brain. I would think ANs would have been detected as a consequence. I think radiation treatment of AN causing cancer is nothing for the average person to worry about.

[Citiview]

Blw
It's an interesting question about causation. Is prior exposure to radiation a risk factor for developing a vestibular schwannoma? The info on the ANA website says yes. I'm no expert.
The prior discussion here, but I deleted it, was that I was worried about whether exposure to Iodine 131 would make my AN grow. I consulted with 4 doctors about it and they all recommended I get the RAI and not worry about its effect on the AN. There's probably no evidence that Iodine 131 would stimulate growth. Also, they would not have wanted me to hold back on a cancer treatment for the sake of the acoustic neuroma. Malignant tumor trumps benign tumor.

Regarding whether or not CK or GK would cause a future malignancy, according to all the papers you have directed me to, it seems rare that it would. By the way, thanks for the papers.

[Blw]

Anytime. True about iodine radiation. The type used to treat AN is gamma--the type of radiation that goes through anything. Iodine 131 for medical treatment is a beta emmitter with a short half life that can be stopped by plastic. Gamma is stopped by lead because it is much higher energy. The point being, I131 is grabbed by the thyroid and likely would not penetrate out much farther than thyroid tissue, so it wouldn't reach your brain. I'll read the AN site but I asked all my doctors, (and all were MD PhDs) about cancer and they all confirmed what papers said. Additionally, none of them ever had a patient that ended up with cancer after treatment.

[Citiview]

BLW
I'm glad that I'm researching now. What I'm learning confirms my decision to watch and wait. As far as the journal articles by Lunsford go, there was a reference to the fact that the closer the tumor is to the cochlea the less chance of hearing preservation. (I think that's what I'm reading) "At diagnosis, a longer distance from the lateral tumor to the end  of  the  internal  auditory  canal  correlated  with  better hearing." Lunsford
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22937859

I don't think that radiosurgery is a good option for anyone for hearing preservation. I'll agree with Dr. Friedman on that one - "radiation degrades hearing faster than if you did nothing." Nobody can tell me that introducing radiation to that region will help preserve hearing. Lunsford's case was that there was evidence that early radiosurgery in comparison to late radiosurgery showed more promise for hearing preservation rates. That, however was a study with 88 patients. He was comparing early vs. late intervention of radiosurgery and not necessarily the normal progression of the tumor in watch and wait. (if I read it correctly)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26975929

I think radiosurgery is a good option for patients, just not a good hearing preservation strategy.

On another note, I have subscribed to DeepDyve. I would say that although it is not a great research tool compared to PubMed or University access, it has provided me access to some scholarly articles that I have found on PubMed. So I'm using PubMed to find the papers, but I check DeepDyve for the access. Sometimes on PubMed they will tell you if you can find it on DeepDyve. They also email you selections, which can be informative. It's $40 per month.

I know you should not be your own doctor and try to do it yourself, but I do like the fact that I can read the papers. I don't really want to talk to any doctors right now. I'm so tired of that process, as nice as everyone has been. I mean that sincerely, everyone has been nice.

I would rather wait it out and study.

The bottom line is that having a tumor so close to the cochlea is trickier for the surgeon and the radiosurgeon in regards to hearing preservation. So, no matter what I do, I run the risk of hearing loss in the future. (we all do) I would just rather stay out of the surgical theatres for now.

I am enjoying my summer with plenty of trips to many beaches and a nice upcoming trip to CA. (Not LA)

[PaulW]

My AN completely filled my IAC and I still have my hearing 6 years later.
Have a read
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25077326
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22937934

[PaulW]

Another interesting read

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842077/

[Citiview]

Wishing everyone well!