ANA Discussion Forum

Treatment Options => Radiation / Radiosurgery => Topic started by: cdadams on June 22, 2010, 08:28:51 pm

Title: tumor turning malignant
Post by: cdadams on June 22, 2010, 08:28:51 pm

Has anyone ever heard of benign AN tumor turning malignant after being "messed with" through radiation?

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: ombrerose4 on June 22, 2010, 08:41:02 pm

I have never heard of this occurring, but I know that it is a possibility to develop a malignancy somewhere around the site where you receive the radiation treatment. But this would take years to develop and I don't know what actual studies have been done.

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: moe on June 22, 2010, 11:02:23 pm

DON'T think this has ever been proved, but it is a good scare tactic :o
Maureen

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: sgerrard on June 23, 2010, 12:03:52 am

This is not something to concern yourself with.

There have been studies, but the occurrence is so rare that it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusion. Over 10 years, any group of 10,000 people is expected to get 5 or 6 malignant brain tumors between them, just for being alive. The rate of occurrence for AN patients treated with radiation is essentially the same. It may turn out to be slightly higher, but it will certainly remain below 1 in 1000. It is difficult to be more precise simply because the rate is not much different, if at all, from people not treated with radiation.

Things like swelling and its side effects, on the other hand, are worth taking into account when considering radiation treatment.

Steve

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: TJ on June 23, 2010, 10:51:00 am

I went to a seminar last Saturday and the doctor stated it is less than 1%.

TJ

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: Jim Scott on June 23, 2010, 01:23:05 pm

cdadams ~

I have to agree with my fellow moderator, Steve, as well as the other posters that have stated the chances of an irradiated AN becoming malignant is infinitesimal, at best.  Thousands of AN patients undergo radiation - recommended by their physician - in some form (I had FSR) every year with no fear of the tumor somehow becoming malignant, because the risk is so small as to be insignificant.   Please don't let this worry you.  Life has enough real dangers without focusing on those that are negligible, such as a radiated AN someday 'becoming' malignant. 

Jim

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: leapyrtwins on June 23, 2010, 06:22:04 pm

I agree with everyone else.  Odds are extremely small.

Jan

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: Vivian B. on July 04, 2010, 07:50:39 am

Prior to my gammaknife treatment on June 30/2010, the neurosurgeon discussed this with me and he said there have been very few cases, one in Canada after 8 years of treatment proven to be from the actual radiation, but other than that stats continue to show less than 1%.

Vivian

Title: Re: tumor turning malignant
Post by: cdadams on July 07, 2010, 09:40:33 am

Thanks to everyone for their response.  I'm not going to let this be a concern of mine.  I appreciate your thoughts.