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Lillian Bell was an active and involved member of her retirement community,
getting out frequently, exercising daily and swimming weekly. But in the fall of
2002, she suddenly developed ringing in her ears, headaches and dizziness that
required use of cane for balance.
Mrs. Bell even had trouble crossing the street. "I’d come to the curb
and couldn’t step off. I would have to stop and then put both feet on the step
before proceeding to the next one," she says.
When Mrs. Bell sought medical advice, an imaging study was obtained, the
results of which revealed a growth reaching from her ear to the base of her
skull. She was referred to a surgeon who told her that, given the size of the
tumor, conventional surgery was too risky.
"My daughters encouraged me to get a second opinion at The Cleveland
Clinic," she says. "They arranged for it on the computer."
Indeed, they had accessed e-Cleveland Clinic, an online tool that allows
individuals to obtain second opinions whether they live 10 or 10,000 miles from
the Cleveland Clinic. After getting enrolled in the program, Mrs. Bell was led
to Gene H. Barnett, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Brain Tumor
Institute.
"A review of her medical records revealed that Mrs. Bell had a glomus
jugulare tumor, a benign (non-cancerous), dense and growing tumor inside the
skull," says Dr. Barnett. "Conventional surgery for glomus tumors is
feasible, but is exceedingly risky. It is the type of growth that is best suited
for Gamma Knife radiosurgery."
Prior to surgery, Dr. Barnett and his team performed exacting calculations,
based on radiological scans of the tumor. In this way, the Gamma Knife would
concentrate beams of ionizing radiation on the tumor tissue while sparing
surrounding healthy tissue. After brief exposure to the beams, the tumor tissue
would decrease in size over time.
Before the procedure, Mrs. Bell was cool and confident. "I was not the
least bit afraid," she says. "There were three doctors in the
treatment area with me. They talked to me and told me to ask any questions I
might have." The procedure lasted less than two hours.
After the procedure, Mrs. Bell stayed that with her son and daughter-in-law
(who live in Cleveland) and returned home to southern Ohio the next day. For
several months, she still had some tinnitus and pounding, and her balance was
off a bit. But after a few more months, those symptoms ceased. When Mrs. Bell
came to The Cleveland Clinic for a checkup in March 2003, Dr. Barnett told her
the tumor had shrunk.
Today, Mrs. Bell, a young 88, is getting around a lot easier. "I can
walk much better and my balance has improved," she says. "Now, I can
go over curbs and down steps better," she says, pleased with her progress
and with how e-Cleveland Clinic helped make it happen.
For information about the e-Cleveland Clinic second opinion program, go to www.eclevelandclinic.org
For information about the Brain Tumor Institute, go to www.clevelandclinic.org/braintumor.
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