Here's a couple of tidbits from a google search on age and AN's
from a noise study:
Of the 146 people with acoustic neuroma in this study, nearly two out of three were 50 or older.from a NYU study
Age: 30-60 (Average age of diagnosis is 50)From the Harvard Medical School:
These tumors have been linked to a mutation in a protein that regulates tumor suppression. In most cases the tumor grows only on one side of the head and is diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50. Acoustic neuromas in children are very rare. People with a hereditary disease called neurofibromatosis type 2 develop bilateral acoustic neuromas because they lack the tumor suppressor protein merlin. About 10% of all acoustic neuromas occur in people with neurofibromatosis.and here's a bonus from the same study for the wait and watchers who wonder how many stop growing after discovery:
At least 10% of acoustic neuromas do not show signs of growth after they are found. Since the tumor is very slow-growing and benign, having a follow-up MRI scan and an audiogram in 6 and 12 months is a safe alternative to immediate intervention. If no changes are found, yearly checkups afterward are adequate to monitor the tumor. If the tumor does not show signs of growth, intervention is not necessary. The risk of this approach is that permanent hearing loss can occur during this observation period.
If the tumor shows signs of growth or is pressing on the brainstem, radiation or surgery are necessary. The choice between the two depends upon a lot of factors best discussed with your surgeon and radiation oncologist. Factors such as size and location of the tumor, related health issues, age, and hearing loss all need to be considered.Here's an excellent article from the congress of Neurosurgeons. I'll paste the age part, but attach the link as it might be useful for those considering the surgery results aspect
http://book2.neurosurgeon.org/?defaultarticle=&defaultnode=2693&layout=22&pagefunction=Load%20Layout&formfields[skip]=1
The case-mix of each hospital group was explored for differences in patient sex, race, and age at surgery. As expected for an acoustic neuroma patient sample, there were nearly equal numbers of men and women (48 and 52%, respectively) in the total sample and across hospital groups. The sample was 86% white. Group 1 had significantly fewer white patients (79%) relative to Groups 2, 3, and 4 (÷2; P < 0.01). The mean age at surgery was 50.6 years for the entire sample, typical of acoustic neuroma patients. The mean age at surgery differed across the hospital groups, with Group 4, on average, conducting procedures on somewhat younger patients (47.7 years; univariate analysis of variance; P < 0.01). Overall, just 5% of the entire sample was older than 75 years. Groups 1, 2, and 3 tended to operate on more patients older than 75 years than Group 4 (P < 0.01; ÷2).
Nearly 70% of the sample presented without a comorbid condition, typical of the otherwise healthy acoustic neuroma patient. The most frequently reported comorbidity was “unspecified hypertension� (13% of entire sample), followed by “other nervous system disorders� (7% of the entire sample). All other comorbidities examined ranged from 0.8 to 3% of the entire sample. Some patients reported with multiple comorbidities. Forty percent of the patients in Groups 1 and 2 reported at least one comorbidity, whereas in Groups 3 and 4, 25% of the patients reported comorbidities. Here's one that includes NF2 having a much younger onset from caremark Health resources:
A person with NF2 will develop an acoustic neuroma if the remaining unchanged NF2 gene becomes spontaneously changed or missing in one of the myelin sheath cells of their vestibular nerve. People with NF2 often develop acoustic neuromas at a younger age. The mean age of onset of acoustic neuroma in NF2 is 31 years of age versus 50 years of age for sporadic acoustic neuromas. Not all people with NF2, however, develop acoustic neuromas. People with NF2 are at increased risk for developing cataracts and tumors in other nerve cells.
Most people with a unilateral acoustic neuroma are not affected with NF2. Some people with NF2, however, only develop a tumor in one of the vestibulocochlear nerves. Others may initially be diagnosed with a unilateral tumor but may develop a tumor in the other nerve a number of years later. NF2 should be considered in someone under the age of 40 who has a unilateral acoustic neuroma. Someone with a unilateral acoustic neuroma and other family members diagnosed with NF2 probably is affected with NF2. Someone with a unilateral acoustic neuroma and other symptoms of NF2 such as cataracts and other tumors may also be affected with NF2. On the other hand, someone over the age of 50 with a unilateral acoustic neuroma, no other tumors and no family history of NF2 is very unlikely to be affected with NF2.and for those who were interested in the affect of age on surgery outcomes here is a study from Dr. Jackler et all at UCSF:
The effect of age on acoustic neuroma surgery outcomes.
Oghalai JS, Buxbaum JL, Pitts LH, Jackler RK.
Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, California 94143-0342, USA. oghalai@itsa.ucsf.edu
OBJECTIVES: To ascertain the effect of age on hearing preservation, facial nerve outcome, and complication rates after acoustic neuroma surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. Two study arms were used: a comparison of the authors' oldest patients with their youngest patients (extremes of age arm) and an analysis of all middle fossa surgical procedures (middle fossa arm). SETTING: Tertiary referral center PATIENTS: Total of 329 patients. For the extremes of age arm, 205 patients were studied in two cohorts with 150 older patients (>60 years) compared with 55 younger patients (<40 years). The approaches included 21 middle fossa (MF), 38 retrosigmoid (RS), and 91 translabyrinthine (TL) procedures in the older group versus 25 MF, 17 RS, and 13 TL in the younger. For the middle fossa arm, there were 170 patients (age range 15-76 years) who underwent the MF approach for an attempt at hearing preservation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hearing preservation was defined as the maintenance of either class A or class B hearing (AAO-HNS class). Good facial nerve outcome was considered the maintenance of either grade 1 or 2 (House-Brackmann scale). Cerebrospinal fluid leak rates and other postoperative complications were also tabulated. RESULTS: After adjustment for tumor size and surgical approach using multiple logistic regression analysis, the extremes of age study arm demonstrated that there is a lower chance of preserving good hearing in older patients (p = 0.048, odds ratio = 0.30). Age was not associated with a difference in the rate of good facial nerve outcome (p = 0.2). There was a trend toward slightly higher rates of cerebrospinal fluid leak in the older patient group (p = 0.07) but no difference in the rate of other complications (p = 0.9). The middle fossa study arm, after adjustment for tumor size and surgical approach, demonstrated that older patient age is associated with a lower rate of preservation of good hearing (p = 0.01, O.R.=1.044). There was no association between age and good facial outcome (p = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Older patient age lowers the chance of hearing preservation but does not affect facial outcomes. There is a trend toward a higher rate of cerebrospinal fluid leak in older patients, but no increased risk of other complications.and finally for those who want to know how "special" we all are, here's a Medtv analysis:
Unilateral acoustic neuroma affects only one ear. Unilateral acoustic neuroma accounts for approximately 8% of all tumors inside the skull. One out of every 100,000 individuals per year develops an acoustic neuroma. Symptoms may develop at any age, but usually appear between the ages of 30 and 60. Unilateral acoustic neuroma is not a hereditary condition.Isn't google wonderful, enjoy
Mark
