Re: Meningioma & Hormones

Posted By Lisa P. on August 13, 1998 at 17:30:56:

In Reply to: Re: Meningioma & Hormones posted by CCF NSG MD /gsh on August 05, 1998 at 16:52:32:






I am a 32 year old female who underwent surgical removal of a benign,
kiwi sized meningioma in Nov, 1993.
I suspect that hormones level, perhaps estrogen and pregancy hormone were
linked to the growth of this tumor. At the time the tumor was discovered,
I had two shildren ages 5 and 1. The pregancies had triggered
severe head aches and a throbbing sensation where I later learned to be the
location of the tumor. The tumor had originated in the (hub of the) 5th
cranial, was attached to the pons and pressed in on the cerebellum.
I now have interesting complex partial seizures as well as a host of other
side effects. I now have headaches pre-menstrually lasting 2 days into my cycle.
Though the tumor was "visibly removed", I am concerned about reccurrence.
If we don't understand 'why' these tumors happen and have never been given  
any clear reason.
My question is this, is research being done on the effects of hormonal levels
on meningioma? If not, should it be?
Lisa P.-Toronto, CA
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Dear Lisa,
Hormones do affect meningiomas, gliomas as well as breast cancer tissue, to
name a few.  The effect and to what degree is incompletely understood.  Certain
tumors display more receptors than other tumors for unknown reasons.  The implication
medically is that medicine could be used to block the action of such hormones.
This is already being used in breast cancer patients with a known level of
estrogen receptors.  
In the instance of brain tumors the biology is likely similar.  We are just
beginning to use hormonal blocking medication in cases of glial tumors, but
all the data on the long-term effects isn't in yet.  Certainly therapy for
meningiomas will be considered, but the therapy must be considered against
the slow, persistent growth known to occur in meningiomas.  Clearly much more
research needs to be done on the subject.  
You are quite right that hormones do affect tumors, but that effect is not  
totally understood yet.

If you should experience a return of the headaches, dizziness or cranial nerve
difficulties, notify your surgeon.
Good luck.
Thank you for your prompt response. I will be seing my neurologist on
August 19th, to discuss pain management and seizure control.
I have tolerable 'complex partial' seizures.
I suppose that I am concerned about regrowth due to hormonal influencers
because I understand that it is atypical for a 27 year old female to have
such a large meningioma. If these tumors grow so slowly, I'm curious to
know if mine grew more quickly due to multiple pregancies etc.
Perhaps the pathology would give a clue.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that
hormones cross the blood/brain barrier. Every other facet of my hormonal
cycle is so exaggerated (symptoms such as PMS etc.) that I wonder if the
hormonal levels & spiking cyclic effects could trigger a new tumor to arise.
If this is the case, prevention (for me) could be hormonal therapy.
During surgery, the 5th cranial nerve was severed leaving numbness and
mandibular paralysis on the right side of my head. The nerves on the right
side of my head now fire off intense pain signals on a daily basis
(trigeminal neuralgia?). I found Tegretol not viable. I spend a minimum of
70% of my life in pain. I am a working professsional and single mother of
two which makes decent pain management a 'must' in order to function in
both capacities. The craniotomy itself has left much pain as it was a
difficult area of the head to enter and much of the skull was cut including
the right cheekbone, right frontal extending above my right ear.
The aching skull is always pronounced before and during my menstrual cycle
as well as during certain barometric conditions. After nearly 5 years,
I thought that these symptoms would lessen.
Is this pain common and what if anything will releive this?