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> White Papers
- Is Angiogenesis a Key Element in Meningiomas Prognostic?
Aurélien Viaccoz
Department of Neurosurgery,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Tumors in the central nervous system are the result of a multi-step process, in which many different events act together: inactivation of tumor suppressor gene or activation of oncogenes, over expression of several growth factors leading, for example, to angiogenesis - the formation of blood vessels. This white paper focuses on the link between angiogenesis and meningiomas.
- Epidemiology, Etiology and Classification of Meningiomas
Jane C. Lau
This white paper explores the epidemiology, etiology and classification of meningiomas. Information included: Meningiomas are the most common cranial tumors, occurring commonly during the seventh and eighth decade, and the female to male ratio is 2:1. Ionizing radiation remains to be the most important cause of meningiomas, while hormonal factors may also play an important role. Use of cellular phones is so far unproven to have any association. The contemporary WHO classification 2000, although conceptually comparable to Harvey Cushing’s histological classification in 1937, has added value in devising a better concept in grading, histological subtype, proliferation index, and brain invasion indices in meningioma. With the advent of gene microarray technique, which is at present in its infancy, the identity of individual meningioma might be able to be mapped out in the near future.
- Predicting Aggressive Behavior in Meningiomas
Marvin Ryou
Meningiomas, while generally benign and often cured after surgical resection, can sometimes behave in a more aggressive fashion through local invasion, local recurrence, or metastasis. Historically, the factors most predictive of recurrence have been the extent of resection, and the histopathological grade of the tumor. This white paper attempts to explore the intrinsic, non-surgical features of meningiomas that may more accurately predict the clinical behavior of these tumors.
- Why Do Patients with Meningiomas Have Seizures?
Suzanne Goh and Dr. Peter M. Black
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Individuals with brain tumors frequently have seizures, and the seizures can be as difficult to manage as the brain tumors themselves. The onset of seizures in someone who has never had a seizure before can be the first sign of a brain tumor. For others, seizures may not begin until after their brain tumor has been removed. Because seizures themselves can be life-threatening, it is critical that patients and physicians discuss the causes and treatments of tumor-associated seizures. This white paper explores the current state of research on tumor-associated seizures.
