Hello, my husband was diagnosed in February that he had a 11mm Vestibular Schwannoma. It has grown to 17.6mm at last MRI in June. Since it is currently active and very close to the brain stem he has been advised to have radiosurgery.The side effects look ghastly. I am hoping he won’t be too bad, but would love to be able to speak to anyone who has knowledge of this treatment please?
Dear Ddg1,
Thank you for getting in touch with us here on the on-line community. My name is Donna and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists with Macmillan Cancer Support.
It can be a worrying time for you all with your husband due to undergo radiosurgery for an active Vestibular Schwannoma. It's natural to have questions and concerns at a time like this.
Radiosurgery is a treatment to deliver very targeted radiotherapy to a precise area. It is delivered in just one session. All treatments come with risks and side effects. It is important to be aware of all the potential side effects but unfortunately it is impossible to know who may get what side effects and to what degree. That being said, the more common side effects of radiosurgery to be aware of are fatigue for the first few weeks and/or headache and nausea caused by initial swelling. Steroids are often given to prevent or help with this.
We would suggest that you speak with your husband’s treatment team regarding any questions that you may still have.
I see you are a member of our brain cancer forum online, I hope this has been helpful to you. It is a safe space to speak with others in a similar situation who may also have knowledge and experience of this treatment.
Take care and best wishes.
Donna
(Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref: DW/AM
