New Member Newly Diagnosed

[kends2020]

First, I am grateful to have found this site.  I have been able to go through much of the information which has been a great help.

After an MRI I was told by my doctor I had an AN.  Today I visited Multicare Neuro Center in Tacoma and met with a Dr. Harris.  Results are that I have AN about 2cm in size.  Which I understand falls into the "small" category.  Dr. Harris works with both Gamma Knife and Cyber Knife and recommended Cyber Knife as the first option and Wait and Watch as the second option.

I am lucky in that my symptoms are only a partial hearing loss in my right ear and ringing in the same ear.  No balance issues other than what comes with being 70 years old.  So I am faced with a decision that many others have faced.  Watch and Wait or Cyber Knife.

The one question I didn't ask today was what are the expected outcomes from going with the Cyber Knife.
1.  Symptoms improve
2. Symptoms remain the same
3. Symptoms get worse (nerve damage = hearing loss)

Or expected outcomes of waiting.
2. symptoms stay the same
3. symptoms get worse

I know the decision is mine, but looking for help in how to analyze my options.  How did you arrive at your decision?

Thanks

ken

[ColleenS]

Welcome and sorry you have to be here 
The best thing I know is to do a good deal of research. I would probably first find out if your is still growing or not. So that would mean stay on the W & W for at least 6 more months and then another MRI. If it has not grown much, perhaps at your age I would stay with W & W with yearly MRIs. I say this since it is a very complicated surgery and if you can avoid it, do so. Good luck to you!

[kends2020]

 Colleen, thank you for taking the time to reply. The surgeon I saw this week responded  back to my question about percentage of success with the cyberknife procedure.  He said

Chances of improvement - 35%
Chances of unchanged - 55%
Chances of getting worse - 10%

So one way to think of it is that there is only a 10% chance of my situation getting worse from the cyberknife procedure.  But still being cautious I am leaning toward W&W like you and others here seem to recommend.

Ken

[ANSydney]

Wonder what the three figures are for observation?