View clinical trials related to Acoustic Neuroma.
Filter by:In this research study we are looking at another type of radiation called proton radiation which is known to spare surrounding normal tissues from radiation. The proton radiation will be delivered using fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) to improve localization of the small tumor target. Proton radiation delivers minimal radiation beyond the area of the tumor. This may reduce side effects that patients would normally experience with conventional radiation therapy. In this research study, we are looking to determine the effects of fractionated proton radiotherapy on long-term hearing preservation and controlling tumor growth.
Tumors can grow on the auditory nerves and can cause hearing loss. A common type of tumor that does this is a vestibular schwannoma (VS), or acoustic neuroma. These tumors are not cancerous. Most often, people have only one VS. Occasionally, people have more than one VS and may have a condition called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Because VS can cause hearing loss, many people with VS will have treatment to preserve their hearing. This treatment usually involves surgery or radiation therapy. There are risks to these procedures, and sometimes they do not work to prevent hearing loss. Because surgery and radiation have risks and are not able to help everyone with VS, other methods of treatment are being explored. One area of exploration is looking to see if there is a drug that can be taken that might prevent the VS from growing larger and causing hearing loss, and might possibly even cause the VS to shrink in size. This study is exploring whether a drug that is approved by the FDA and is currently used to treat breast cancer might also work to treat VS. This study will measure the amount of drug that travels from the bloodstream and arrives at the tumor. This drug is safe and has few side effects. If this drug is shown to reach the tumor, it might be used in the future to treat VS without needing surgery or radiation. This study is recruiting people who are having surgery for VS. If you are going to have surgery to treat a VS, you may be eligible to participate.