Meningioma

Abstract

Meningiomas represent the most common primary brain tumor and comprise 3 World Health Organization (WHO) grades, the most frequent being WHO grade I (90%). Surgery is mandatory to establish the diagnosis and to remove the tumor; however, complete resection can be achieved in only <50% of patients. Depending on the extent of resection, tumor location and the WHO grade radiation therapy can be applied. The issue of systemic treatment such as chemotherapy or targeted therapy (eg, somatostatin receptors, antiangiogenic agents) is yet not solved, particularly as current data are derived from small uncontrolled series in patients with long-standing disease and after several pretreatments. A more thorough understanding of molecular genetics, signaling pathways and prognostic factors in meningiomas should lead to the design of studies which stratify according to these factors. These studies have to be conducted in newly diagnosed patients after incomplete resection and in tumors of WHO grade II and III.