Largest Study of Variables Associated with Meningioma Risk Announced
A Brigham and Women’s Hospital neurosurgeon has announced plans for the largest-ever multi-dimensional study to comprehensively examine the environmental, genetic, pathologic and clinical variables associated with meningioma risk.

Dr. Elizabeth B. Claus, M.D. Ph.D., announced the study during a May 5, 2006, talk sponsored by the Brain Science Foundation and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Neurosurgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

To view a PowerPoint presentation of Dr. Claus's talk, click here.

The news of the study that Dr. Claus and a number of colleagues will be performing came at a patient education talk, “The Epidemiology of Meningioma: What’s New?” on Friday, May 5, 2006. An overflow crowd of about 75 attended the talk, during which Dr. Claus, a leading authority on meningioma epidemiology, also reviewed what is known about the statistics on incidence, survival, and many of the factors implicated in the pathogenesis and prognosis of this tumor type.

Despite the fact that meningiomas are the most common of all primary brain and central nervous system tumors, limited data is available on long-term outcomes for meningioma patients. The lack of data is in part due to the fact that historically not all meningiomas have been reported. As of Jan. 1, 2004, legislation passed in the United States mandates the registration of all brain tumors, both malignant and non-malignant, with U.S. Government Cancer Registries. This mandate will help to increase the focus on meningioma and will likely increase the already significant reported prevalence of the tumor type. Dr. Claus explained that now is the ideal time to advance knowledge of meningioma with the change in reporting as well as the development of new tools in genetic and molecular epidemiology.

The Brain Science Foundation looks forward to making more detailed information on the multi-dimensional study available shortly and we look forward to supporting Dr. Claus and her colleagues as they prepare to launch it.