With so much at stake, Kelly Stafford was fearful of what her future might hold. Kelly, wife of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, had a 12-hour surgical procedure in April to remove a benign brain tumor called acoustic neuroma.
Did Kelly Stafford have an acoustic neuroma?
The condition – a skull base disorder called acoustic neuroma, or vestibular schwannoma – was benign, and Kelly Stafford appeared healthy and happy as she watched her husband’s team beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, but her story heartened brain specialists who treat this type of brain tumor.
How do I know if I have had a brain tumor?
Changes in personality or behavior. Weakness, numbness, or loss of movement in one part or one side of the body. Difficulty with balance or dizziness. Sensory changes like difficulty hearing, difficulty seeing, or loss of smell.
Can you live a long life with acoustic neuroma?
The patient may choose to live with the acoustic neuroma as long as it is not a life-threatening condition rather than risk further hearing loss that can potentially occur from therapy. If an acoustic neuroma eventually causes symptoms, then radiation therapy or microsurgery may be necessary.
What is the survival rate for acoustic neuroma?
Of these 4 modalities, the most traditionally performed for acoustic neuroma has been microsurgical excision.
Table 3.
| Morbidity Following Acoustic Neuroma Excision | |
|---|---|
| Mortality | 0.5% |
| Performance of a facial nerve graft/anastomosis of another cranial nerve to the facial nerve | 1.6% |
| Lagophthalmos | 1.5% |
| Hematoma | 1.4% |
Can you have a brain tumor for years without knowing?
Brain tumors don’t always cause symptoms. In fact, the most common brain tumor in adults, meningioma, often grows so slowly that it goes unnoticed. Tumors may not start causing symptoms until they become large enough to interfere with healthy tissues inside the brain.
Can stress cause brain tumors?
No, being stressed doesn’t directly increase the risk of cancer. The best quality studies have followed up many people for several years. They have found no evidence that those who are more stressed are more likely to get cancer.
Where are most brain tumors located?
Their most common locations are the base of the skull and the lower portion of the spine. Although these tumors are benign, they may invade the adjacent bone and put pressure on nearby neural tissue.
What happens if you don’t remove an acoustic neuroma?
If a growing acoustic neuroma is left untreated, it can cause a dangerous buildup of fluid in the brain or it can compress the cerebellum and brain stem, which can be life threatening. This is rare for patients whose tumors are properly diagnosed and treated.
How long are you in the hospital after acoustic neuroma surgery?
Most patients will spend about 3-4 days recovering in the hospital during their acoustic neuroma surgery recovery. That will allow doctors to monitor your recovery and watch for any signs of side effects following your procedure.
What are the side effects of acoustic neuroma surgery?
Are there post-surgical complications after acoustic neuroma surgery?
- Hearing loss in one ear due to tumor removal surgery.
- Tumor growing back.
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks.
- Infection of the incision or meningitis.
- Dizziness, balance problems, headaches.
Is hearing loss from acoustic neuroma permanent?
An acoustic neuroma may cause a variety of permanent complications, including: Hearing loss.
How successful is surgery for acoustic neuroma?
The procedure’s success rate at stopping tumor growth is usually greater than 90%. It may increase the amount of hearing loss in the affected ear, but risk of creating new symptoms like facial weakness should be low.
Can acoustic neuroma affect memory?
The psychiatric signs and symptoms reported in acoustic neuroma patients are usually described as transient, and these include mood changes, agitation, persecutory delusions, hallucinations, and memory loss and confusional episodes.
What are the first warning signs of a brain tumor?
Symptoms
- New onset or change in pattern of headaches.
- Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe.
- Unexplained nausea or vomiting.
- Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision.
- Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg.
- Difficulty with balance.
What is the main cause of brain tumor?
Brain and spinal cord tumors, like other tumors, are caused by changes in the DNA inside cells. DNA is the chemical that makes up our genes, which control how our cells function. We usually look like our parents because they are the source of our DNA. But DNA affects more than how we look.
How long can a person live after brain tumor surgery?
Age is a factor in general survival rates after a cancerous brain or CNS tumor is diagnosed. The 5-year survival rate for people younger than age 15 is about 75%. For people age 15 to 39, the 5-year survival rate nears 72%. The 5-year survival rate for people age 40 and over is 21%.
Can diet cure a brain tumor?
Many articles and websites claim to be able to cure or control tumours through diet or various supplements. But, there’s no evidence that shows any specific food or diet is associated with the development, management or treatment of brain tumours.
Is there a way to prevent brain tumors?
Can brain tumors be prevented? Unfortunately, you can’t prevent a brain tumor. You can reduce your risk of developing a brain tumor by avoiding environmental hazards such as smoking and excessive radiation exposure.
Can depression cause brain tumors?
Indeed, depression is a frequent mental disorder, and brain tumours are remarkably rare in patients with depression. In fact, among 200 patients who died in a psychiatric unit, autopsies showed that only 3% had brain tumours.
What is the deadliest brain tumor?
“Glioblastoma is the most aggressive type of brain cancer and considered to be advanced by the time of diagnosis,” said Dr. Solmaz Sahebjam, a neuro-oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center. “Currently it is not curable, meaning there’s no way to eradicate all cancer cells.