Effects of treatment for vestibular schwannoma on hearing function
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effects of treatment for vestibular schwannoma on hearing function: a feasibility study
IRAS ID
321428
Contact name
Omar Pathmanaban
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 3 days
Research summary
Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are non-cancerous tumours that grow on the hearing and balance nerve. These tumours can cause problems such as hearing loss, ringing or other noises in the head (tinnitus) and loss of balance.
Treatment options for VS depend on tumour size and how fast it is growing. Small tumours are usually monitored using MRI scans (i.e., ‘watch and wait’). Surgery may be needed to remove a large tumour or treat one that is growing. One type of treatment, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), uses a precise beam of radiation to arrest tumour growth.
The ‘watch and wait’ treatment option presents a risk to hearing function as hearing often continues to deteriorate in the affected ear, even without obvious tumour growth. Some research studies suggest that stereotactic radiosurgery used at the time of tumour diagnosis, might delay hearing ability decline but the evidence is unclear.
A research team at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Manchester is aiming to conduct a trial of whether SRS is superior to ‘watch and wait’ for preserving hearing function in people with VS. Before we can design the full trial, however, a feasibility study is required to understand how best to monitor hearing function in people undergoing treatment for VS. The aim of this study is to assess the viability of monitoring hearing function in people being managed for VS. We need to understand which hearing function tests are best to evaluate potential benefits of SRS vs. ‘watch and wait’. We also aim to measure the reliability of the hearing tests over time i.e., test-retest reliability in the feasibility study. This information is important because we are planning to ask participants recruited to the full trial to complete the hearing tests at different time points during their treatment for VS.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/NW/0149
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion