OK one more question

[Timjk]

When I had the AN removed in Feb. they took 80% of the tumor and saved what hearing I had in that ear. We are going to talk about going after the rest of that tumor with radiation plus going after the tumor on the other side. ( I have NF2.. bi-latteral tumors ).. Does anyone know the chance of going completely deaf after radiation treatment ??  Also the chance of facial paralysis...

Tim

[Jim Scott]

Timjk: 

I'm not a physician and so I cannot offer a professional/medical answer to that question - but your doctor may be able to do so. 

My opinion is that deafness is quite possible as a result of radiation treatment, but it is not a certainty.  It's a risk that you may have to take in order to destroy the AN and preclude the chance of re-growth in the near future. 

Jim

[sgerrard]

I'd be interested in knowing if the results for radiation treatment after partial resection by surgery are different than for just radiation.

I think most of the published reports on radiation therapy deal with radiation as the initial and only treatment, although some do mention other cases. The general result is that hearing is preserved between 50% and 70% of the time, and facial nerve function is preserved in better than 90% of the cases. Statistics are only statistics, each case has its own special destiny, but there is every reason to be optimistic about the outcome of the radiation.

Steve

PS to Jim: I think it is okay for lay people to quote published results and reports from physicians, even though we are not ourselves doctors. When we do so, we are really just relaying information, and perhaps rephrasing it to make it easier to understand. I'm not actually offering an opinion at all, I'm just giving my understanding of the expressed opinions of qualified professionals.