Jocelyn really wanted to share with her family the news that she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She needed their help but was afraid they’d be critical of how upset she was that doctors had decided not to remove the meningioma. She eventually consoled herself with the knowledge that hers was the most common type of meningioma and started to dial her sister’s number.
What is a meningioma?
According to the Mayo Clinic, a meningioma is a tumor in the meninges, the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. Most are benign, although in rare cases, a meningioma can signal cancer.
What makes meningiomas different from some other types of brain tumors is the potential decision to just leave them alone if they don’t cause significant symptoms or the possibility of immediate harm. Knowing that they’re walking around with an untreated brain tumor for years can prove extremely stressful to some patients.
Meningiomas make up around 15 percent of the primary brain tumors reported in the United States. For those that can be removed, the survival rate after 2 years is 82 percent, Cancer.Net reports. About 85 percent are benign. The rest are either slow-growing tumors that could potentially become malignant or are actually cancer (1 to 2 percent).
Most health care providers recommend that you become as self-educated as you can to make the best decisions about care. The place to start is finding out which type of tumor you have.
According to Cancer.Net, meningiomas are divided into types based on the location of each tumor.
Falx and parasagittal. Parasagittal was Jocelyn’s diagnosis. Falx and parasagittal represent around one out of ever four meningiomas. Your falx is a membrane that sits in a groove running between the two sides of your brain. A parasagittal meningioma is a tumor near your falx.
Convexity. It makes up 20 percent of meningiomas. The tumor is located on the upper surface of your brain.
Sphenoid. Your sphenoid ridge resides behind your eyes. These tumors also represent around 20 percent of meningiomas and occur primarily in women.
Olfactory groove. It makes up 1 out of every 10 cases. The growth is located along the nerves that connect your brain to your nose.
Posterior fossa. Comprising about 10 percent of all meningiomas reported, it grows on the underside and back of your brain.
Suprasellar. Its location is next to the sella turcica, a box located at the base of your skull. This is the location of your pituitary gland. Suprasellars represent another 10 percent of reported cases.
Spinal. This type occurs in less than 10 percent of the time. Doctors diagnose it most often in women between 40 and 70, at chest level. It can push against your spinal cord, causing symptoms like radiating chest pain, bladder problems and weakness or numbness in the legs.
Intraorbital. It develops in or around your eye sockets. It’s relatively rare, comprising less than 10 percent of cases.
Intraventribular. It represents only two percent of diagnosed meningiomas. The tumor occurs in the chambers that transport fluid throughout your brain.
Once you’ve learned all you can about the type of meningioma you have, the Mayo Clinic suggests creating a support network for yourself. Whether you’ve had surgery and radiation or are currently undergoing no treatment, you also need to take good care of yourself. This means proper nutrition, exercise your physician deems appropriate and getting sufficient sleep.
