Acoustic Neuroma Awareness Week

Every May, Orange County Cyberknife wants to promote acoustic neuroma awareness week. It typical falls on the second week of May each year and is always in conjunction with brain tumor awareness month. Due to the fact that there is relatively no information available to the general public, most people have never heard of this particular type of brain tumor, nor do they know any information about the condition. At Orange County Cyberknife, we want our acoustic neuroma patients to feel supported and not alone with their very specific condition. We are more than just a cancer treatment center. Our staff of professionals are committed to helping our patients thrive both during and after their acoustic neuroma tumor treatment and after, to ensure they are as comfortable as possible!

What Is Acoustic Neuroma?

Acoustic neuroma is an uncommon, noncancerous (benign) and usually slow­ growing tumor that develops on the main nerve leading from your inner ear to your brain. Branches of this nerve directly influence your balance and hearing, therefore pressure from an acoustic neuroma can cause hearing loss, ringing in your ear and unsteadiness.

Acoustic Neuroma Symptoms

Common early symptoms of acoustic neuroma tumors include:

• Loss of hearing in one ear
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)
• A feeling of fullness in the ear.

Often, these symptoms are attributed to aging or noise exposure in early life, which delays the diagnosis of many acoustic neuromas.

As the tumor grows, it presses on the balance portion of the eighth nerve, which can cause:

• Balance problems
• Unsteadiness
• Vertigo (feeling like the room is spinning)

Very large tumors can press on the trigeminal nerve, which causes numbness or tingling in the face, or even on the brain, which causes headaches. These more advanced symptoms can come with potentially fatal complications, so treatment should be sought immediately in these cases.

Acoustic Neuroma Tumor Treatment

There are two main ways to treat an acoustic neuroma tumor: microsurgical removal or radiation with cyberknife. Microsurgical removal involves removing all or a portion of the tumor. Partial or total removal will depend on the patient, their specific course of treatment, how aggressive the acoustic neuroma tumor is growing or not, and other factors. At Orange County Cyberknife, your skilled physician will walk you through all of the details if surgery is necessary.

Outside of physical surgery, radiation therapy offers a highly effective treatment for acoustic neuroma tumors. Cyberknife is a revolutionary radiation therapy system that combines some of the most advanced technologies in cancer treatment to create a highly effective, extremely convenient treatment method for cancer and acoustic neuroma tumors. CyberKnife delivers a precisely calibrated, finely-measured dose of energy to the tumor. This dose of energy damages the cells of the tumor and stops them from replicating. Once the remaining cells of the tumor die, they’re eliminated naturally by the body.

Contact Your Orange County Acoustic Neuroma Treatment Center

While many acoustic neuroma tumors are benign, they can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening side effects and complications as they grow. At Orange County CyberKnife, we’re committed to helping our patients overcome their health conditions and lead a full, happy life. It is our goal to spread awareness about acoustic neuroma tumors. If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with cancer, acoustic neuroma, or any other condition, we are here to help you. Feel free to call us at 714.962.7100 with any questions or reach out to us at our contact page to schedule an appointment at our Orange County, CA cancer treatment facility.