Specialties & Diseases > Oncology & Hematology

Mark Ruffalo’s dream led to this rare diagnosis—what if his doctor had dismissed it?

By Meghan McCallum | Fact-checked by Barbara Bekiesz

Published February 5, 2025

Key Takeaways

Industry Buzz

“The treatment of auditory nerve tumors often requires a team approach of neurologists, radiation oncologists, audiologists, and even physical therapists. [This tumor type] is definitely something you don’t want to ignore.” — Rachael Cook, AuD

In an interview on the podcast SmartLess, actor Mark Ruffalo shared the story of a dream he had one night that ultimately helped diagnose him with a brain tumor.^[]

In his dream, information was revealed to him about a brain tumor, which compelled him to take action and pay a visit to the doctor. Fortunately, Ruffalo’s doctor didn’t shrug off the query as just a particularly vivid nightmare—because, shockingly enough, subsequent imaging showed a golf ball-sized mass behind Ruffalo’s left ear.

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Ruffalo’s diagnosis and outcomes

Ruffalo’s doctor then scheduled him for surgery to remove the tumor, which turned out to be a benign vestibular schwannoma.

Despite the good news of the tumor’s benign status, Ruffalo reported the surgery itself was quite risky, with the potential for nerve damage and loss of hearing.^[] Indeed, Ruffalo shared, he permanently lost hearing in one ear as a result of the surgery. He also experienced facial paralysis for about 1 year post-surgery.

In a YouTube video, Rachael Cook, AuD, an audiologist at Applied Hearing Solutions in Phoenix, AZ, explained that vestibular schwannomas are “relatively rare, affecting only about one in 100,000 people per year.”

While Ruffalo reportedly didn’t have any symptoms, some patients with benign brain tumors may experience headaches, seizures, and problems with vision or speech.^[] Additionally, early detection of vestibular schwannomas can be difficult because some symptoms are subtle, or only show up when the tumor has grown.^[]

Treating this rare condition

Treating vestibular schwannoma-related hearing loss requires consistent patient monitoring and follow-up care, and a personalized treatment approach for each patient, according to Dr. Cook. “The treatment of auditory nerve tumors often requires a team approach of neurologists, radiation oncologists, audiologists, and even physical therapists,” she said.

Strange as it may seem, it certainly paid off for Ruffalo to pay attention to his dream and take appropriate actions to diagnose and remove his tumor. If left untreated, a vestibular schwannoma may become large and press into the brainstem or cerebellum, making it life-threatening.^[]

While rare and manageable with MRI monitoring and hearing treatment, according to Dr. Cook, vestibular schwannomas “are still brain tumors after all, and definitely something you don’t want to ignore.”