I am so sorry you are dealing with this! Most paragangliomas are not malignant so it would be wise to also meet with a doctor that is not an oncologist but who has dealt with more paras. These tumors behave differently than others and most doctors with experience with them do NOT do biopsies prior to removal as they get angry. They are rare. Mine was thought to be a carotid body tumor, but during surgery it was discovered it was vagal. I had a cardiac surgeon as well as an ENT for my surgery December 2016 at Mayo in Rochester. They were a great team! I’m pretty much fully recovered. I can try to answer any questions you might have. I wish you the best of luck!