Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 12/10/2010

Question
Hello Dr.

My friend received a second opinion from Stanford CT, and the tumor is indeed a Grade 3. It is called a Anaplastic Meningioma Grade 3. Doctor, there are not much information about this tumor on the Internet. Why is there so little information about this tumor? It said only 2% of meningioma tumors are malignant. It is crazy that my friends wife is within that 2%. It also said that the survival rate is extremely poor, giving the patient as little as less than two years survival. It said that the cancer can recur in any body part after receiving one year of radiation therapy, is this also true?. This is so bad and so sad and devastating.
Can you please provide me with any information about anaplastic meningioma Grade 3? Everything you might now? How aggressive it is? And the estimated survival prognosis? Less than two years is completely sad.. If it's true what is on the Internet? I'm even amazed the little information about this cancer and that there is also very if none survival stories.
Please help us understand this tumor in any way that you can? And please be as truthful and honest as you can be with us.
I appreciate all your help doctor and God Bless you for having this site to help all these individuals and caregivers that need so much clarifying when receiving those horrible news.

Answer
No this is a very rare tumor and experience of it is therefore limited. That is also why you find so little on it on the internet. Well even if the risk of getting one of these tumors is very small it is not 0 so some people do get it. Who will is of course just a matter of chance. However just as your chance of winning a lottery is very small yet someone still does. It is the same here, the risk is very small but still some are unlucky enough to get it. Its prognosis is indeed poor and it behaves (contrary to "normal" benign meningiomas) as a highly malignant cancer. So just as you stated survival rates and survival times are very limited and it can spread as you described. So unfortunately I can not promise you any happy end here.



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