Tumor Left Behind After Surgery Can Grow Years Later
Original title: Natural History of Residual Vestibular Schwannoma After Incomplete Microsurgical Resection: Delayed Progression During Long-Term Surveillance.
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 only watched people who already had surgery, so it is not a new treatment.
The short version
When a bit of tumor is left after surgery, it can start to grow, sometimes more than 5 years later.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at 194 people who had surgery for a vestibular schwannoma, a tumor on a nerve near the ear. In 22 of them, a small piece of tumor was left behind on purpose, and scans tracked that piece over time.
What they found. Twelve of the 22 people had the leftover piece grow. 5 of those 12 did not grow until more than 5 years after surgery. In 3 people the leftover piece got smaller on its own. 6 people had more treatment later, 4 with surgery and 2 with radiosurgery.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If a surgeon leaves part of this tumor to protect nerves, that piece may still grow. It may not grow for years. So MRI scans may need to keep going past the 5 year mark, not stop there. Growth is not certain, and some pieces even shrink.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean leftover tumor always grows, or that growth is an emergency. It also does not prove that longer scanning keeps people safer or healthier. The study only watched 22 people at one hospital and looked back at old records. The authors say it does not show how safe or helpful longer scanning really is. This is not a new treatment and not a cure. Ask your own care team how often you should be scanned.
Source: PubMed, October 15, 2026 · Read the original
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