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CNS Oncology Jun 2021Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors. The majority of meningiomas are benign, but they can present different grades of dedifferentiation from... (Review)
Review
Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors. The majority of meningiomas are benign, but they can present different grades of dedifferentiation from grade I to grade III (anaplastic/malignant) that are associated with different outcomes. Radiological surveillance is a valid option for low-grade asymptomatic meningiomas. In other cases, the treatment is usually surgical, aimed at achieving a complete resection. The use of adjuvant radiotherapy is the gold standard for grade III, is debated for grade II and is not generally indicated for radically resected grade I meningiomas. The use of systemic treatments is not standardized. Here we report a review of the literature on the clinical, radiological and molecular characteristics of meningiomas, available treatment strategies and ongoing clinical trials.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Child; Humans; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
PubMed: 34015955
DOI: 10.2217/cns-2021-0003 -
Neuro-oncology Nov 2021Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumors. Yet, only few controlled clinical trials have been conducted to guide clinical decision making, resulting in...
Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumors. Yet, only few controlled clinical trials have been conducted to guide clinical decision making, resulting in variations of management approaches across countries and centers. However, recent advances in molecular genetics and clinical trial results help to refine the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to meningioma. Accordingly, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) updated its recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of meningiomas. A provisional diagnosis of meningioma is typically made by neuroimaging, mostly magnetic resonance imaging. Such provisional diagnoses may be made incidentally. Accordingly, a significant proportion of meningiomas, notably in patients that are asymptomatic or elderly or both, may be managed by a watch-and-scan strategy. A surgical intervention with tissue, commonly with the goal of gross total resection, is required for the definitive diagnosis according to the WHO classification. A role for molecular profiling including gene panel sequencing and genomic methylation profiling is emerging. A gross total surgical resection including the involved dura is often curative. Inoperable or recurrent tumors requiring treatment can be treated with radiosurgery, if the size or the vicinity of critical structures allows that, or with fractionated radiotherapy (RT). Treatment concepts combining surgery and radiosurgery or fractionated RT are increasingly used, although there remain controversies regard timing, type, and dosing of the various RT approaches. Radionuclide therapy targeting somatostatin receptors is an experimental approach, as are all approaches of systemic pharmacotherapy. The best albeit modest results with pharmacotherapy have been obtained with bevacizumab or multikinase inhibitors targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, but no standard of care systemic treatment has been yet defined.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Radiosurgery; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
PubMed: 34181733
DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab150 -
International Journal of Radiation... Mar 2020Phase 2 cooperative group meningioma trial assessing the safety and efficacy of risk-adaptive management strategies. This is the initial analysis of the high-risk cohort.
BACKGROUND
Phase 2 cooperative group meningioma trial assessing the safety and efficacy of risk-adaptive management strategies. This is the initial analysis of the high-risk cohort.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
High-risk patients were those with a new or recurrent World Health Organization (WHO) grade III meningioma of any resection extent, recurrent WHO grade II of any resection extent, or new WHO grade II after subtotal resection. Patients received intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using a simultaneous integrated boost technique (60 Gy high dose and 54 Gy low dose in 30 fractions). Three-year progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint. Adverse events (AEs) were scored per NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.
RESULTS
Of 57 enrolled patients, 53 received protocol treatment. Median follow-up was 4.0 years (4.8 years for living patients). Two patients withdrew without progression before year 3; for the remaining 51 patients, 3-year PFS was 58.8%. Among all 53 protocol-treated patients, 3-year PFS was 59.2%. Three-year local control was 68.9%, and overall survival was 78.6%. Of 51 patients, 1 patient (1.9%) experienced a late grade-5 necrosis-related AE. All other acute (23 of 53 patients) and late (21 of 51 patients) AEs were grades 1 to 3.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with high-risk meningioma treated with IMRT (60 Gy/30) experienced 3-year PFS of 58.8%. Combined acute and late AEs were limited to grades 1 to 3, except for a single necrosis-related grade 5 event. These results support postoperative IMRT for high-risk meningioma and invite ongoing investigations to improve outcomes further.
Topics: Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Meningioma; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Grading; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; Recurrence; Risk; Safety; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 31786276
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.11.028 -
Journal of Neuro-oncology Jan 2023Meningiomas are the most frequently diagnosed intracranial neoplasms. Usually, they are treated by surgical resection in curative intent. Radiotherapy and stereotactic... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Meningiomas are the most frequently diagnosed intracranial neoplasms. Usually, they are treated by surgical resection in curative intent. Radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery are commonly applied in the adjuvant setting in newly diagnosed atypical (CNS WHO grade 2), and anaplastic (CNS WHO grade 3) meningioma, especially if gross total resection is not feasible, and in recurrent cases. Conversely, the evidence for pharmacotherapy in meningioma is scarce.
METHODS
The available literature of systemic treatment in meningioma was screened using PubMed, and ongoing clinical trials were explored using ClinicalTrials.gov.
RESULTS
Classical cytotoxic agents, somatostatin analogs, and antihormone treatments have shown only limited efficacy. In contrast, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, especially those targeting angiogenic signaling such as sunitinib and bevacizumab, have shown promising antitumoral activity in small phase 2 trials. Moreover, results of recent landmark studies on (epi-)genetic alterations in meningioma revealed potential therapeutic targets which are currently under investigation. These include inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), sonic hedgehog signaling, and histone deacetylases. In addition, clinical trials evaluating immune checkpoint inhibitors such as ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab and avelumab are currently being conducted and early results suggest clinically meaningful responses in a subset of patients.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a paucity of high-level evidence on systemic treatment options in meningioma. However, interesting novel treatment targets have been identified in the last decade. Positive signals of anti-angiogenic agents, genomically targeted agents and immunotherapy in early phase trials should be confirmed in large prospective controlled trials.
Topics: Humans; Meningioma; Meningeal Neoplasms; Prospective Studies; Hedgehog Proteins; Antineoplastic Agents
PubMed: 36181606
DOI: 10.1007/s11060-022-04148-8 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2021Patients diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) are extremely likely to develop meningiomas, in addition to vestibular schwannomas. Meningiomas are a common... (Review)
Review
Patients diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) are extremely likely to develop meningiomas, in addition to vestibular schwannomas. Meningiomas are a common primary brain tumor; many NF2 patients suffer from multiple meningiomas. In NF2, patients have mutations in the gene, specifically with loss of function in a tumor-suppressor protein that has a number of synonymous names, including: Merlin, Neurofibromin 2, and schwannomin. Merlin is a 70 kDa protein that has 10 different isoforms. The Hippo Tumor Suppressor pathway is regulated upstream by Merlin. This pathway is critical in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, characteristics that are important for tumor progression. Mutations of the NF2 gene are strongly associated with NF2 diagnosis, leading to benign proliferative conditions such as vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas. Unfortunately, even though these tumors are benign, they are associated with significant morbidity and the potential for early mortality. In this review, we aim to encompass meningiomas and vestibular schwannomas as they pertain to NF2 by assessing molecular genetics, common tumor types, and tumor pathogenesis.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Brain Neoplasms; Cell Proliferation; Humans; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Mutation; Neurofibromatosis 2; Neuroma, Acoustic
PubMed: 33445724
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020690 -
Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official... Dec 2021Meningiomas are the most frequent primary intracranial tumors. Patient outcome varies widely from benign to highly aggressive, ultimately fatal courses. Reliable...
PURPOSE
Meningiomas are the most frequent primary intracranial tumors. Patient outcome varies widely from benign to highly aggressive, ultimately fatal courses. Reliable identification of risk of progression for individual patients is of pivotal importance. However, only biomarkers for highly aggressive tumors are established ( and ), whereas no molecularly based stratification exists for the broad spectrum of patients with low- and intermediate-risk meningioma.
METHODS
DNA methylation data and copy-number information were generated for 3,031 meningiomas (2,868 patients), and mutation data for 858 samples. DNA methylation subgroups, copy-number variations (CNVs), mutations, and WHO grading were analyzed. Prediction power for outcome was assessed in a retrospective cohort of 514 patients, validated on a retrospective cohort of 184, and on a prospective cohort of 287 multicenter cases.
RESULTS
Both CNV- and methylation family-based subgrouping independently resulted in increased prediction accuracy of risk of recurrence compared with the WHO classification (c-indexes WHO 2016, CNV, and methylation family 0.699, 0.706, and 0.721, respectively). Merging all risk stratification approaches into an integrated molecular-morphologic score resulted in further substantial increase in accuracy (c-index 0.744). This integrated score consistently provided superior accuracy in all three cohorts, significantly outperforming WHO grading (c-index difference = .005). Besides the overall stratification advantage, the integrated score separates more precisely for risk of progression at the diagnostically challenging interface of WHO grade 1 and grade 2 tumors (hazard ratio 4.34 [2.48-7.57] and 3.34 [1.28-8.72] retrospective and prospective validation cohorts, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Merging these layers of histologic and molecular data into an integrated, three-tiered score significantly improves the precision in meningioma stratification. Implementation into diagnostic routine informs clinical decision making for patients with meningioma on the basis of robust outcome prediction.
Topics: Humans; Meningioma; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 34618539
DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.00784 -
Genome Medicine May 2022Recent investigations of the meninges have highlighted the importance of the dura layer in central nervous system immune surveillance beyond a purely structural role....
BACKGROUND
Recent investigations of the meninges have highlighted the importance of the dura layer in central nervous system immune surveillance beyond a purely structural role. However, our understanding of the meninges largely stems from the use of pre-clinical models rather than human samples.
METHODS
Single-cell RNA sequencing of seven non-tumor-associated human dura samples and six primary meningioma tumor samples (4 matched and 2 non-matched) was performed. Cell type identities, gene expression profiles, and T cell receptor expression were analyzed. Copy number variant (CNV) analysis was performed to identify putative tumor cells and analyze intratumoral CNV heterogeneity. Immunohistochemistry and imaging mass cytometry was performed on selected samples to validate protein expression and reveal spatial localization of select protein markers.
RESULTS
In this study, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to perform the first characterization of both non-tumor-associated human dura and primary meningioma samples. First, we reveal a complex immune microenvironment in human dura that is transcriptionally distinct from that of meningioma. In addition, we characterize a functionally diverse and heterogenous landscape of non-immune cells including endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Through imaging mass cytometry, we highlight the spatial relationship among immune cell types and vasculature in non-tumor-associated dura. Utilizing T cell receptor sequencing, we show significant TCR overlap between matched dura and meningioma samples. Finally, we report copy number variant heterogeneity within our meningioma samples.
CONCLUSIONS
Our comprehensive investigation of both the immune and non-immune cellular landscapes of human dura and meningioma at single-cell resolution builds upon previously published data in murine models and provides new insight into previously uncharacterized roles of human dura.
Topics: Animals; Endothelial Cells; Humans; Immunity; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meninges; Meningioma; Mice; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 35534852
DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01051-9 -
Journal of Neuro-oncology Nov 2022Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system neoplasm. Despite promising recent progress in elucidating the genomic landscape and underlying biology of... (Review)
Review
Meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system neoplasm. Despite promising recent progress in elucidating the genomic landscape and underlying biology of these histologically, molecularly, and clinically diverse tumors, the mainstays of meningioma treatment remain maximal safe resection and radiation therapy. The aim of this review of meningioma radiotherapy is to provide a concise summary of the history, current evidence, and future for application of radiotherapy in meningioma treatment.
Topics: Humans; Meningioma; Meningeal Neoplasms; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
PubMed: 36315366
DOI: 10.1007/s11060-022-04171-9 -
Nature Medicine Dec 2023Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for meningioma, the most common primary intracranial tumor, but improvements in meningioma risk stratification are needed and...
Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for meningioma, the most common primary intracranial tumor, but improvements in meningioma risk stratification are needed and indications for postoperative radiotherapy are controversial. Here we develop a targeted gene expression biomarker that predicts meningioma outcomes and radiotherapy responses. Using a discovery cohort of 173 meningiomas, we developed a 34-gene expression risk score and performed clinical and analytical validation of this biomarker on independent meningiomas from 12 institutions across 3 continents (N = 1,856), including 103 meningiomas from a prospective clinical trial. The gene expression biomarker improved discrimination of outcomes compared with all other systems tested (N = 9) in the clinical validation cohort for local recurrence (5-year area under the curve (AUC) 0.81) and overall survival (5-year AUC 0.80). The increase in AUC compared with the standard of care, World Health Organization 2021 grade, was 0.11 for local recurrence (95% confidence interval 0.07 to 0.17, P < 0.001). The gene expression biomarker identified meningiomas benefiting from postoperative radiotherapy (hazard ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.78, P = 0.0001) and suggested postoperative management could be refined for 29.8% of patients. In sum, our results identify a targeted gene expression biomarker that improves discrimination of meningioma outcomes, including prediction of postoperative radiotherapy responses.
Topics: Humans; Biomarkers; Gene Expression Profiling; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 37944590
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02586-z -
Neuroendocrinology 2020Parasellar tumours represent a wide group of intracranial lesions, both benign and malignant. They may arise from several structures located within the parasellar area... (Review)
Review
Parasellar tumours represent a wide group of intracranial lesions, both benign and malignant. They may arise from several structures located within the parasellar area or they may infiltrate or metastasize this region. The treatment of the tumours located in these areas is challenging because of their complex anatomical location and their heterogenous histology. It often requires a multimodal approach, including surgery, radiation therapy (RT), and medical therapy. Due to the proximity of critical structures and the risks of side effects related to the procedure, a successful surgical resection is often not achievable. Thus, RT plays a crucial role in the treatment of several parasellar tumours. Conventional fractionated RT and modern radiation techniques, like stereotactic radiosurgery and proton beam RT, have become a standard management option, in particular for cases with residual or recurrent tumours after surgery and for those cases where surgery is contraindicated. This review examines the role of RT in parasellar tumours analysing several techniques, outcomes and side effects.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Chondrosarcoma; Chordoma; Cranial Irradiation; Craniopharyngioma; Humans; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Pituitary Neoplasms; Radiosurgery
PubMed: 32126559
DOI: 10.1159/000506902