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Meningioma - I'm scared to watch and wait

Brain Tumor | Last Active: Dec 8, 2017 | Replies (26)

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@colleenyoung

Hi Eleanor,
I moved your message to the Brain Tumor group because I want to introduce you to @audrapopp @Jackiewizardof @eaglesview @ljsandlin.

I completely understand how difficult it must be to "do nothing". In actual fact, your medical team is not inactive, but rather actively monitoring you. This is likely because the risk of treatment is more dangerous than the possible benefits. I prefer the term "active surveillance" rather than "no effort".

Here's how the National Cancer Institute defines active surveillance: "Closely watching a patient’s condition but not giving treatment unless symptoms appear or change. Watchful waiting is sometimes used in conditions that progress slowly. It is also used when the risks of treatment are greater than the possible benefits. During watchful waiting, patients may be given certain tests and exams. It is a type of expectant management."

How often will you see your neurosurgeon for follow-up? Did they explain what you can expect?

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Replies to "Hi Eleanor, I moved your message to the Brain Tumor group because I want to introduce..."

Colleen Young: Thank you for your response to my report, today, 04/24/16.
They did not explain what I could expect. No follow up appointment was made. I asked my primary care physician to examine the mri and for him to talk to the neurosurgines. He and I met after he talked to them and he assured me that the tumor, unidentified as a medical term specific, was a very slow growth and could be a problem if my speech became irregular. That is where we left it. I assumed that it might be dangerous to have another mri or to consider any action that would involve surgery/radiation. I looked into the internet and found, "Next generation immunotherapy offers new hope for beating brain cancer." m.medicinpress.com: Science Translational Medicine, 02 March 2016. A little amaturish knowledge can be dangerous and far too early for application.
So I thought to use connect for information and comfort. Eleanor Seminara