[Vestibular schwannoma. A new interpretation of tumor growth].
BACKGROUND
The goal of the present paper was to investigate the growth of vestibular schwannoma (VS).


METHODS
A series of 123 patients with 127 tumours were allocated to the wait and scan group in the period 1973 to 1999. The material was updated three times medio 1993, medio 1996 and medio 1999. Via the Danish national register, data on whether the included patients were alive or dead were collected medio 1999. Three sets of growth results were obtained.


RESULTS
The results medio 1993 revealed: tumour growth in 94 tumours (74%), no growth in 23 tumors (18%) and negative growth in 10 tumors (8%). Medio 1996 the results changed to: tumour growth in 104 tumors (82%), no growth in 15 tumours (12%) and negative growth in eight tumours (6%). The growth figures changed again in medio 1999 to: tumour growth in 108 tumours (85%), no growth in 11 tumours (9%) and negative growth in eight tumours (6%). However, the results may also be interpreted in another way: 52 patients (42%) are alive, tumour growth did not demand any intervention, 23 patients (19%) died due to non-tumour related causes and 35 patients (28%) were previously treated and alive by the termination of the third observation period.


CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that tumour growth is time dependent, surgery at diagnosis is the ultimate solution, however the current study provides a number of arguments in favour of the wait and scan policy.
Charabi
S
S
Ore-naese- og hals-afdeling E, Amtssygehuset i Gentofte.
Tos
M
M
Thomsen
J C
JC
Charabi
B W
BW
Mantoni
M Y
MY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016518:Neurofibromatosis 2 / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies