Last week, Scott Baio took to Facebook to share some sad news: his wife Renee had recently been diagnosed with meningioma, a brain tumor.
Although these types of tumors are generally benign, it’s important to note that related symptoms (which may include persistent headaches, numbness, weakness and tingling – depending on the size and location of the tumor) often masquerade as other diagnoses, therefore making it close to impossible for doctors to properly identify their findings.
What Are the Symptoms?
“The symptoms are relative to the brain area they’re in and if they’re next to the eye, they can cause visual loss,” Robert L. Martuza, MD, Chief Neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, tells PEOPLE. “If they are next to the motor strip, they can cause weakness, paralysis, and if they’re next to a major blood vessel, they can cause wide-ranging symptoms, almost like a stroke.”
How Can It Be Diagnosed?
Meningiomas aren’t necessarily detected in typical MRIs, as was the case with Renee. She opted to get an MRI with contrast scan, which led to her current diagnosis, as an unaffected brain does not react to such MRIs.
Scott Baio’s Wife Diagnosed with Brain Tumor
“Meningiomas are typically relatively vascular, so they have a good blood supply,” Donato Pacione, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, tells PEOPLE. “As a result they highlight nicely with an MRI with contrast scan. [This scan] gives us a separation of what’s tumor and what’s brain.”
Who’s At Risk?
This type of tumor is also increasingly common in women ages 40 to 70, and tends to form in the brain or, less often, the spinal cord. Although Renee, as well as Mary Tyler Moore and Sheryl Crow, was diagnosed with meningioma after battling breast cancer, so far no direct link has been found between meningioma and breast cancer. However, doctors have not entirely ruled out the correlation.
“It probably comes down to a genetic level, the exact correlation and mechanistic level isn’t really understood, but there seems to be a higher correlation of meningiomas in women with breast cancer,” says Martuza.
As the Baios await more information about the severity of Renee’s situation and whether or not the growth is operable, their desire to help others and raise awareness has become their priority.
“I only wish my health issues to be open to the public in the hope that I can educate others,” Renee told PEOPLE exclusively.
• Reporting by MEGAN KUHARICH