Mary, when I was diagnosed a year and a half ago with a 2.7 centimeter close to my optic nerve the neuro-oncologist said radiation. But a different neurosurgeon I consulted said remove it. Did the neurosurgeon you saw explain both and then state why he was suggesting surgery rather than radiation? I think removing it is always preferred unless your age and general health precludes that possibility. (General anesthesia is harder on older people.) Radiation would be the second line of defense if the location is too dangerous to operate in. Or, if the meningioma is too large (I was told 3 centimeters but others on this forum have quoted 4 and 5 centimeters) radiation is not an option. With all that being said, I did have a craniotomy and it was not the nightmare I imagined it to be. A much easier surgery than the hysterectomy I had years ago.