Standard Growth Rate for Schwannomas?

[matt1971]

Hello all. I am new to the boards. I was diagnosed with a schwannoma at L1 in 2006 and had it removed in January 2007. I had a CFS leak and underwent surgery again in February 2007. Unfortunately, I have had severe back pain and secondary issues ever since.

My questions are if anyone knows  any medical data or study concerning the growth rate of schwannomas? Also, does anyone know of any effects ionizing radiation would have on schwannoma growth rate?

I was in the military from 1991 to 1997. For four of those years I was subjected to ionizing radiation daily as part of my job. I am trying to show a service related conection to the schwannoma. If I can reasonable prove that the schwannoma was incurred during my service I can get help from the VA. If not, then they will not assist me.

Thanks in advance for any assistance with growth rate info or radiations affects on growth rate.

[markalan]

Hi Matt-

I've had two surgeries for a schwannoma at L2/L3 and have been watching the growth of a small residual for about 13 years.

More than one neurosurgeon has told me that the growth rate is non-linear: the tumor can be stable for many years and then "wake-up" and start to grow. In my case, the schwannoma grew at the rate of about 1mm per year after surgery(in the transverse dimension) for the first six years and then decided to stop growing. I've seen no growth for the past 7 years or so. So I think it is fair to say that there is no "standard" growth rate for schwannomas. The growth is slow and sometimes glacially slow.

There is speculation that exposure to ionizing radiation causes schwannomas to develop in the first place, but I've never seen anything suggesting that ionizing radiation has an influence on the growth rate. I would think that proving any connection would be very difficult.

Hope you are doing okay!

[habib]

Mine took nine years to fill the spinal canal after the onset of symptoms (to the point of causing temporary paralysis), so it was exceptionally slow in growth. It was misdiagnosed as a disk problem, before the symptom of rapid paralysis appeared. As to causation, the neurosurgeons told me there was really no way of telling when, or why, it formed. One physician's comment was that it could have been with me since I was born.

It was removed in '97 with no recurrence. Be happy you're rid of the damned thing. Additional problems associated with the constructive/destructive surgery followed over the last 17 years, but they are more along the line of pain issues associated with adhesive arachnoiditis, which is quite a different animal. The pain was manageable with a spinal cord stimulator.