A brain tumor grew, then shrank on its own over about 17 years
Original title: Biphasic growth and subsequent spontaneous regression of posterior fossa meningioma with progressive calcification: illustrative case.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This is a report about one person's scans over time, not a treatment you can get.
The short version
Doctors watched one woman's brain tumor grow and then get smaller on its own.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at brain scans from one 76-year-old woman. Her CT scans covered about 17 years. They measured how big the tumor was and how much calcium built up inside it.
What they found. The tumor grew slowly at first. Then it grew faster. After that it shrank on its own, with no treatment aimed at it. Calcium kept building up inside the tumor the whole time. As the tumor got smaller, calcium became the main part of what was left. An MRI done 3 months after the last CT scan showed the signs of a meningioma, a common kind of brain tumor.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Some meningiomas can change a lot over many years. A tumor can grow for a time and then get smaller without treatment. This is one reason doctors sometimes watch a tumor with repeat scans instead of acting right away. Calcium building up inside a tumor may be a sign the tumor is winding down rather than a sign it is growing slowly.
What it doesn't mean: This is one person's story, not a study of many people. It does not mean brain tumors usually shrink on their own. Most do not. This is not a treatment, and it is not a cure. It does not change the care your doctor offers you today. Do not stop or delay your own care because of it.
Source: PubMed, July 27, 2026 · Read the original
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