Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 2/1/2011

Question
My friends' wife just finished RT and her 1st MRI will be in March.

Question: Do you know how fast the tumor will recur?
         Is it possible that it will remain in remission for many years?
They don't know. The Oncologist simply tells them that they have to wait and see, but that the tumor will recur at some point. He told them that this is a serious diagnose and the fast recurrence rate is very high. Could be as little as a couple of months to a little over a year. Is this true Dr.? That is how aggressive an anaplastic meningioma is. He said the aggressive Radiation Treatment helps a lot but to what extent, they need to wait and see.
Do you agree with this? Do you know how fast it might recur? Was radiation therapy the best treatment to fight this cancer?
When it recurs, is there any more treatment available to fight this? or is there not much that can be done after this? The Oncologist said there are other medication and possible surgery, but no more RT is available. Is anaplastic meningioma a terminal disease?
Please let me know your thoughts.
Thank you.

Answer
Unfortunately I do not know. Many things are possible but it is not probable that such a remission will last for many years.
Unfortunately I have to agree with her oncologist. Radiation therapy was more or less the only available practical treatment option for her. So not only the best available but the only available option. There are hardly any other available options at present. So what can be done has been done. Surgery and chemotherapy are (maybe) possible but a cure would at best be doubtful. No more radiation therapy is possible. If/when it returns it will probably be terminal. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!



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