Hi, Sharon:
I'm assuming that your sister has already been diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma ('AN' in our vernacular) and, if so,she has lots of options. As all the previous posters have correctly stated, this Schwann cell tumor is NOT cancerous and, to my knowledge, does not require a biopsy, although I'm not a physician and cannot make that statement with any kind of medical certainty, only my personal experience and the information I've gleaned from other AN patients posting on this forum. Are you positive she has been diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma tumor? The mention of biopsy is a bit confusing, for the reason I stated, above. Usually, an MRI scan 'discovers' the AN tumor and the doctors go from that to surgery and/or radiation, not a biopsy.
As the information available on this website will tell you, there are basically 2 options to deal with an acoustic neuroma tumor. Microsurgery and/or radiation. Some AN patients have both. I'm one of those. Radiation is generally restricted to tumors smaller than 3 cm but only a physician (radiologist) can make that determination for a patient. Radiation is non-invasive and requires little more than an overnight hospital stay, if that. However, that treatment, while preferred by many, has it's own risks. Microsurgery is a delicate operation that can last from 7 to 16 hours and requires the surgeon cutting through the skull and very carefully removing the tumor, which is sometimes wrapped around vital nerves that control facial movement and sensation, among other things. There are 3 distinct approaches to AN surgery and they are outlined on other sections of this site. Please read them. Microsurgery procedures require a very experienced neurosurgeon, preferably with many hundreds of these surgeries on his or her resume. This surgery is usually successful if performed by an AN 'pro'. Mine was. Surgery usually requires a 4 to 5 day hospital stay (at least one day in ICU) and does have it's risks, including CSF leaks and sometimes unexpected facial paralysis and other unwanted complications. Recovery (at home) takes a few weeks for most...more or less. In the final analysis the AN patient has to become informed (that's why we're here) and, of course, consider all aspects of either procedure; surgery or radiation. It's a very individual decision, unless, as in my case, the tumor is way too big for radiation. Then, surgery is usually the only option.
If your sister does have an acoustic neuroma tumor, we understand the trauma that causes both patient and family. We've all been there, one way or another. We're here for you both. Your sister will be O.K. This isn't fatal, just difficult. Please give us more information and an update, when possible. Stay strong for your sis.
Jim
