meningioma follow up

[dlaxague]

Meningioma follow-up question: My husband had a grapefruit-sized benign meningioma removed from the frontal lobe area in October '09. He recovered well although not completely back to normal, mostly with fairly minor changes in social behavior and logic.

After surgery, the surgeon thought there might be some residual tumor, which was unchanged on CT at 3+ months. The next CT is scheduled for 10/10 (1 year post op).

My question is if there is any advantage to being hyper-vigilant as far as worsening symptoms. If the tumor did regrow, what would be the deciding factor about when to intervene? Would the intervention be surgical (vs. radiation)?

I realize I should be asking my questions of the surgeon but since we are there together when we see him, I am reluctant to say things in front of my husband that might upset or worry him. Do family members ever make separate appointments, to be able to discuss their loved one's condition more frankly?

Thanks in advance for your help, and apologies for so many questions.

Debbie

[Maria RN]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your husbands condition. The best person to ask about treatment options is your husband's attending physician. I understand that you'd rather not talk about your concerns during the consultation because you care about your husband's feelings. Perhaps you should talk to your husband first, let him know how concerned you are and that you want him to get the best possible treatment. Ask him if it's okay if you would raise questions on your next trip to the doctor. Good luck.