AN diagnosed in December, now something else on opposite side of brain

[amysue]

I was diagnosed in December with a 1.6cm AN right side. I had gamma-knife surgery in February.  I am scheduled for a follow-up MRI for that procedure this weekend.  Two weeks ago I received a certified letter from my oncologist telling me that they had been trying to get a hold of me by phone for awhile, and that they had found a 1mm "focus of enhancement" on the opposite side of my brain when they did the MRI at the gamma knife procedure. When I called the doctor's office, they did not want to give me any information...just kept saying that I needed to get a follow-up MRI and the doctor would talk to me then.  However, the nurse did finally say that the doctor did find something "suspicious" on the opposite side of my brain.

Anybody else have something like this happen to them?  I am wondering what exactly "focus of enhancement" means.  I am now very worried.  Could this be an AN or something else?  Or could it be nothing?

I do understand that I will just have to wait until the MRI results come back, but I want to be as prepared as I can for anything she may tell me.

thanks everyone!

[Jim Scott]

Hi, Amy -

Welcome back.  Although I'm sorry to learn of this new development, I'm not a doctor and cannot credibly state what the MRI report actually means but it would seem to indicate that the MRI scan showed what might be another tumor - or something like that  - on the left side of your brain.  Often, these 'suspicious' MRI images are later found to be nothing important .  Your doctor is simply being cautious in asking you to have another MRI to be certain there really is 'something' - or nothing - there. Try not to panic until you have the MRI scan and have spoken with your doctor about the results. No point in getting yourself in a knot over nothing.  Should the MRI have bad news, you'll have time enough to worry.  I'm hoping and praying (along with you, I'm sure) that the 'focus of enhancement' is really nothing at all.  This is a distinct possibility so while you have to be realistic, you can also be optimistic until you have real evidence that there is a problem. 

Jim

[Jackie]

Hello Amysue,

Nine months after I was diagnosed with a right-sided AN I also had another enhancement show up on the left side which proved to be a small Meningioma also a benign tumor. Long story short I have been assured that I won't ever have to deal with it as it's small and slow growing, and it's almost 3 times the size of your enhancement. Please don't worry, yours may not even be anything at all! With todays' technology they are discovering things that are so small, that they don't present any problems, which can be a two-edged sword. Probably our great-grandparnts had these things and never knew it because the technology wasn't available then. So rather than get yourself worked up, have the MRI and get the results, and don't waste time worrying. You will deal with whatever comes, and you'll have our support! We all lean on each other from time to time, we're family!
Blessings to you and I'll be looking forward to your update!
Jackie