Jim thanks for all the info you are a hero member! OK the question... surgery for the AN then radiation seems like a thorough approach to beat this. I have 1.8 CM AN and no drs.have mentioned this approach.Your thoughts on this?
Teripo ~
Thanks for your generous words. I can only speculate but my presumption is that your AN is considered too small for the debulking & radiation approach.
My AN was 4.5 cm and pressing hard on my brainstem, so, due to its size and location, radiation was never a consideration for me. However, I had done my research and made sure my doctor knew (
prior to our first consultation) that I was very concerned about developing facial paralysis as a result of the surgery. When we met, he had a plan mapped out that was two-stage. First the 'debulking' surgery that would pare down the tumor, basically 'hollow it out' (
as he described it) taking it away from the brainstem, making it much thinner and so, very amenable to the effects of radiation. He also planned to sever the tumor's blood supply, a critical step in the operation. As I've mentioned, my neurosurgeon had decades of experience with AN removals and had my full confidence, going in. He performed the surgery with the help of his able protégé, Dr. Judith Gorelick. He promised that he would do everything possible to avoid causing any facial paralysis. The operation lasted just under 9 hours and was very successful. He reduced the AN to approximately 2.5 cm and the facial nerve was intact and functional. I did not suffer facial paralysis. In fact, I had few problems at all and was discharged 5 days after being admitted to the hospital. It took awhile to regain serviceable equilibrium but I was driving within 2 weeks of my surgery and recovered at a brisk pace. Ninety days later, I was scheduled for 26 FSR treatments. These were 'mapped' (
via MRI and CT scans) by both the radiation oncologist (
the eminent Dr. Haas) and my outstanding neurosurgeon, Dr. Issac Goodrich. I received a total of approximately 27
gray (2,700 rads). The sessions were tedious but uneventful and I never suffered any problems e.g. nausea. Subsequent MRI scans indicated the beginnings of necrosis and tumor shrinkage. Personally, I feel great. No symptoms and no real problems. I'm SSD but I was SSD prior to the surgery so that was never an issue.
To wrap up this long explanation, I'll suggest you ask one of the doctors you consult about the debulking approach (
with follow-up radiation) to get a professional opinion. My guess is that they'll say (
due to it's size and location) that they can safely remove the entire tumor in one operation and there is no need for surgery plus radiation. I'll be interested to find out how this progresses.
Jim 
