Using Positron Emission Tomography to Predict Intracranial Tumor
Growth in Neurofibromatosis Type II Patients - Neurofibromatosis
type II (NF2) is associated with tumors of the nerves, brain,
and spinal cord. Most people with NF2 develop vestibular
schwannomas, or tumors on the hearing and balance nerves. As
they grow, vestibular schwannomas can cause hearing loss and
balance problems. If they grow very large they can cause more
serious problems, such as seizures, loss of eyesight, weakness,
speech problems, and problems with the sense of touch. More
research is needed into NF2 because researchers do not
completely understand why these tumors occur or what makes them
grow over time. - Currently, tumor size is measured with
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. However, MRI scans
cannot predict how fast a tumor will grow. By using positron
emission tomography (PET) scanning, researchers hope to be able
to predict sudden growth spurts of tumors associated with NF2
and develop better treatment methods for this