I understood AN's were very rare. How... - Acoustic Neuroma ...
I understood AN's were very rare. How come, counting me, I know four people who have had them diagnosed?
Hi Keith - I think you will find that ANs are relatively rare compared to other brain tumours. The incidence is around 1 in 80,000 I believe. I am surprised that you know 4 people who have been diagnosed with ANs...I know when my husband was diagnosed 10 years ago we had never heard of it and that goes for many people today. We have, of course, met hundreds of people with ANs since his diagnosis both at the hospitals and through BANA. I am pleased to say that none of our "pre-AN diagnosis" friends have ANs.
The other thing is that MRI scans are now available and ANs are often picked up when people are being scanned for other reasons. I remember a consultant once said that if every deceased person was scanned a lot more ANs would be found as there are many people walking around with them without knowing about it. Some ANs don't cause any problems and are therefore never diagnosed.
Best wishes
Jackey
Hi Keith
Although as Jackey says, only one person in 80,000 is diagnosed with an AN each year, and many GPs have never had a patient with one, it still amounts to 700+ people every year.
Although we only have just over 1000 members in BANA, over 14,000 people must have been diagnosed in the 20 years since it was started. Apart from the friends I have made in BANA, I have only come across one other person.
Keith, Jackey and Judy are correct. There is also the fact that once you have something you tend to notice others with the same thing so, having an AN means you will notice when you hear of others. Probably like me you had never even heard the term before being diagnosed, but since diagnosis you will pick up every mention of it? Anyway, tell us about yours and what sort of treatment you have had or are considering for it?
Thanks bypass, read my blog "Silver Anniversary"
An An can run in family's if they have the Jean my dad had one I think I have one but if it is very rare hopefully I wont have one.
