Post Treatment - Surgery vs CyberKnife

[Mooretis]

Could someone speak to the ongoing treatment after either surgery or cyberknife.   From what I can gather, with surgery (assuming the entire tumor is removed) you have basically one followup MRI, and then you are done with it.  But with cyberknife since there is always the chance it can begin to grow again, that you are basically stuck with getting an MRI at least once a year?

Mooretis

[sgerrard]

My impression from this forum is that surgery patients typically have several follow up MRIs. Since ANs can regrow after surgery as well, most AN patients continue to have some kind of follow up checks for the rest of their lives.

Radiation patients typically have several MRIs in the first two years, then step down to annual, then to one every 2 years. The frequency may continue to go down over longer times. Most of the reported regrowths after radiation occur in the early years, not later on.

I think the patterns of follow up become fairly similar over the long term.

Steve

[Dog Lover]

I'm only 3 months post op, but I had an appointment at 1 week to remove stitches, another appointment and MRI at 1 month and I have another appointment in Jan, which will be 5 months post-op. After that I THINK that I come back in a yr for another MRI and after that I have no idea. 

Cathy

[leapyrtwins]

As Steve said, ANs can grow back after surgery although the chances are small - I believe it's 1 or 2%. 

It all depends on the doctor, but most surgery patients have an annual MRI for the the first five years - at a minimum - and less frequently thereafter.

Jan

[OTO]

How often you have MRIs depends on:  (1) the outcome of the surgery (2) what the post-op MRI shows and (3) when your medical team thinks it's okay to stop....   Usually they assume annual MRIs for about 5 years post-op.... however based on what the doc said, and his review of a 6-month post-op MRI, he said my next MRI should be at 2-years post-op....   so it varies from person to person.... no ANs are the same....