Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign intracranial tumor that is increasingly diagnosed in older adults. The relative contributions of tumor burden and surgical management to overall survival in elderly and very elderly patients remain incompletely characterized at a population level in VS patients.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Findings from a large retrospective database study on vestibular schwannoma management in older adults may inform counseling and treatment selection, but practice changes should await prospective or comparative-effectiveness research.
With an aging population, understanding how management choices for vestibular schwannoma affect outcomes in older adults is increasingly relevant to neurotologists and multidisciplinary teams.
- 01Uses the SEER national database to analyze vestibular schwannoma management in older adult patients.
- 02Compares surgical vs. non-surgical management strategies and their associated outcomes.
- 03Retrospective database design limits causal inference about which treatment is superior.
- 04Published ahead of print in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (doi: 10.1002/ohn.70393).
- 05Findings may support age-stratified counseling discussions but require prospective validation.
Management patterns and outcomes of vestibular schwannoma differ by approach (surgical vs. non-surgical) in older adults as captured in the SEER database.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42605966
- DOI
- 10.1002/ohn.70393.
- Journal
- Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Older adults diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma in the SEER database
- Intervention
- Surgical and non-surgical management of vestibular schwannoma
- Comparator
- Non-surgical management (observation, radiation)
Primary outcomes
Management patterns by treatment modality; Outcomes including survival and morbidity in older adults