Doctors and medical researchers know little about the cause of acoustic neuroma, benign tumors that form near the hearing nerves of effected subjects and cause varying degrees of hearing loss or threaten pressure on the brain stem. While theories and the results of scattered studies attempt some answers, little is known about what, if any, relationship exists between smoking and the condition. Although researchers have linked smoking to the cause of some cancerous tumors, some research shows smoking may inhibit acoustic neuroma.
The Research
British studies have shown a decreased risk for current smokers developing acoustic neuroma compared to those who never smoked or ex-smokers. One study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2006 concluded that "significantly reduced risks in current smokers were observed" in each European country sampled. Researchers from Britain's Institute of Cancer Research remained unsure if smoking chemically suppressed growth of acoustic neuroma tumors or if other factors led to the findings.
Expert Insight
Despite the findings of some European studies, doctors and websites specializing in acoustic neuroma stop short of assigning positive attributes to smoking concerning this condition. The Georgia-based Acoustic Neuroma Association makes no mention of the inverse relationship to smoking noted in the British studies. The association notes that the cause of acoustic neuroma remains largely unknown but cites some studies that show it could occur in people who lack adequate genes for suppression of tumors.
Known Smoking Hazards
What remains certain in the medical field is smoking's relationship to deadly cancerous tumors in the lungs and other parts of the body. although its study showed an inverse relationship between smoking and acoustic neuroma, the Institute of Cancer Research also notes in its study that other studies show smoking as a risk factor for hearing loss, which is a main symptom that acoustic neuroma patients experience.
Lack of Data
The medical research community knows so little about acoustic neuroma because of its rarity as a condition. The Neurosurgical Medical Clinic reports there are about 10 cases of acoustic neuroma for every million people, making the body of research and case subjects limited. The Acoustic Neuroma Association reports, however, the incidence of the tumors appears to be rising. The association cites a 2004 Danish study showing the incidence to be 17.4 cases per million.
Treatment Options and Health Impact
The Acoustic Neuroma Association describes three main strategies for treating the tumors: observation, removal through surgery or radiation. Sometimes doctors discover acoustic neuroma tumors in patients during MRI scans because of unrelated conditions or symptoms. In cases such as these in which small acoustic neuroma tumors cause no symptoms, patients and their doctors often elect to observe the tumors over time rather than cut the tumors out or kill them with radiation. Larger tumors affecting hearing or encroaching on the brain stem may prompt surgery or radiation treatment, the association notes.
