Information on Brain Tumors from the National Library of Medicine
There are two main types of brain cancer. Primary brain cancer starts in the brain. Metastatic brain cancer starts somewhere else in the body and moves to the brain. Brain tumors can be benign, with no cancer cells, or malignant, with cancer cells that grow quickly. Read more at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Information on Meningiomas from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Brain Tumor Center
Meningiomas are tumors which originate from the linings that cover the brain, called meninges. These tumors are generally non-cancerous and slow growing. They normally don’t invade the adjacent brain, but rather push it aside. Occasionally, meningiomas can be biologically more aggressive (atypical meningiomas) or, in rare cases, malignant (malignant meningiomas). Read more from Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Information on Meningiomas from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
A meningioma is a tumor of the protective linings of the brain and spinal cord. These linings are called meninges. Most meningiomas are benign, though some may be cancerous. Benign meningiomas are generally slow growing. They usually don't cause problems unless they are pushing on the brainstem and/or compressing structures such as optic and cranial nerves. Read more from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Read Patients' Stories at the Brain Science Foundation's Meningioma Project
Share in the stories of those whose lives are touched by meningioma. Read more from the Brain Science Foundation's Meningioma Project.
Stereotactic radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery is a form of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered x-rays on a small area of the body. With regular radiation therapy treatment, healthy tissue that is nearby also receives radiation. Stereotactic radiosurgery better focuses the radiation on the abnormal area. Read more from the NLM.
Video: Dr. Leonard Cerullo Discusses Meningiomas
Dr. Cerullo explains, meningiomas are primarily benign tumors that grow on the outside of the brain, but still within the skull. The various locations on the brain meningiomas can present are discussed along with some of the more common symptoms. Dr. Cerullo also introduces a brief overview of the treatment options for meningiomas, including surgery, observance, and stereotactic radiosurgery. View the video as presented by CNN.
Podcast: Removing a Brain Tumor
Dr. Sunil Patel, Chief of Neurosurgery, talks about the different types of brain tumors by explaining the anatomy of the brain and explains gliomas, the most common type of brain tumor. Dr. Patel discusses how minimally invasive procedures are used to remove the tumor, explains the new technologies used in the operating room and talks about image guided surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Practice parameter: anticonvulsant prophylaxis in patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors
Twelve studies have examined, either in randomized controlled trials or cohort studies, the ability of prophylactic anticonvulsants to prevent first seizures in patients with brain tumors, and none have demonstrated efficacy. Four of these studies provide level I evidence. A meta-analysis of these four studies also revealed no evidence of an effect on the frequency of first seizures in patients receiving anticonvulsant prophylaxis. See National Guideline Clearinghouse major recommendations.
Abstract: Advances in meningioma therapy
Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Most of them are benign (World Health Organization grade I), slow-growing lesions, but some are classified as atypical (WHO grade II) or malignant (WHO grade III). Surgical resection is curative when complete removal of a benign meningioma is possible. Incompletely resected tumors and high-grade lesions are frequently treated with fractionated radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. See Abstract at PubMed.
Reapprasial of the role of endocrine therapy in meningioma management
Recurrent meningiomas constitute an uncommon but significant problem after standard therapy failure. Speculation that meningiomas may be subject to endocrine influence was supported by both immunohistochemical analyses and epidemiological data. Therefore, alternative strategies such as endocrine therapy have been suggested. Although evidence of consistent findings for the role of specific hormonal exposures is mounting, there are numerous discrepancies about the mitogenic effect of hormonal manipulation on meningioma cells. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in meningioma pathogenesis may not only lead to the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers but may also facilitate the development of new pathogenesis-based targeted strategies. Full text available free through the Society for Endocrinology.
Exogenous hormone use and meningioma risk
The decision to commence or continue use of hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptives in women presumed or known to be diagnosed with intracranial meningioma is a common clinical question in neurosurgery. A review of the English-language literature was undertaken to examine the association between the use of exogenous hormones and meningioma risk. Seven publications were identified, 6 of which met criteria for inclusion. No randomized clinical trial data were available, hence, results were collected from 2 population-based case-control studies, 2 hospital-based case-control studies, 1 nested case-control study drawn from a large national cohort, and 1 retrospective cohort study. At present, there is no statistical evidence of an increased risk of meningioma among users of oral contraceptives. Although not definitive, available data suggest an association between the use of hormone replacement therapy and increased meningioma risk. Further evaluation of exogenous hormone use in women with meningioma is needed with particular attention to stratification by hormone (ie, estrogen and/or progesterone) composition, duration of and age at use as well as tumor receptor subtype. Full text available free from Wiley Interscience.
Interferon-alpha for recurrent World Health Organization grade 1 intracranial meningiomas
Intracranial meningiomas are common, they frequently recur after surgery or radiotherapy, and there are limited data regarding the treatment of intracranial meningiomas with chemotherapy. A phase 2 study was designed to estimate the 6-month progression-free survival of patients with recurrent, treatment-refractory, World Health Organization grade 1 meningiomas who were treated with interferon-alpha. Full text available free from Wiley Interscience.
Abstract: Epidemiologic evidence on mobile phones and tumor risk: a review.
This review summarizes and interprets epidemiologic evidence bearing on a possible causal relation between radiofrequency field exposure from mobile phone use and tumor risk. In the last few years, epidemiologic evidence on mobile phone use and the risk of brain and other tumors of the head in adults has grown in volume, geographic diversity of study settings, and the amount of data on longer-term users. See Abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: Occupational exposure to magnetic fields and the risk of brain tumors.
We investigated the association between occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (MFs) and the risk of glioma and meningioma. Occupational exposure to MF was assessed for 489 glioma cases, 197 meningioma cases, and 799 controls enrolled in a hospital-based case-control study. Lifetime occupational history questionnaires were administered to all subjects; for 24% of jobs, these were supplemented with job-specific questionnaires, or "job modules," to obtain information on the use of electrically powered tools or equipment at work. See Abstract at PubMed.
Abstract: The association of breast cancer and meningioma in men and women.
OBJECTIVE: An association between breast cancer and intracranial meningioma has been described in women. We sought to determine whether this connection exists in men as well, hypothesizing that causes unrelated to sex may be responsible. METHODS: We queried state cancer registries that recorded data on breast cancer and meningioma. See Abstract at PubMed.
Long term experience of gamma knife radiosurgery for benign skull base meningiomas
Objectives: As most reports on the gamma knife have related only to short or mid-term results, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness and toxicity of radiosurgical treatment for benign skull base meningiomas in 200 patients with a follow up of 5–12 years to define the role of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for basal meningiomas and to provide further data for comparison with other treatment options. Full text available free through PubMed.
Looking for a Top-Rated
Neurologist or Neurosurgeon?
Consumers' Guide to Top Doctors finds the Doctors Rated Best by other Doctors
To find out who the top doctors are around the country, nonprofit Consumers' CHECKBOOK surveyed roughly 340,000 physicians to tell us which specialists they would want to care for a loved one. The Top Doctors database contains the names of over 23,000 doctors who were mentioned most often. Find top-rated doctors in the fifty largest metropolitan areas, in over thirty-five specialties, and more.
Source: Brain Science Foundation
Consumers' Guide to Top Doctors finds the Doctors Rated Best by other Doctors in over 30 specialties.
Search Top Doctors
database of 23,000 top-rated physicians by
Doctor's Name
Search Top
Doctors database of 23,000 top-rated
physicians by Specialty
Consumers' Guide to Hospitals
Which Hospital Should You Choose
"What makes the Consumers' Guide to Hospitals so special?
We've got 30 million answers to that question. That's how many hospital records Consumers' CHECKBOOK sifted through to calculate risk-adjusted death rates and adverse-outcome rates, and that's just part of the data used to rate the hospitals. The organization also sent out more than 280,000 questionnaires to physicians in 53 major metropolitan areas in the United States, asking them to rate their local hospitals; checked ratings of the hospitals by surveyed consumers; checked which hospitals were providing recommended tests and procedures for patients with specified medical problems; and more."
AARP The Magazine
The gamma knife used in radiosurgery for brain tumors
