Meningiomas: knowledge base, treatment outcomes, and uncertainties. A RANO review

Evolving interest in meningioma, the most common primary brain tumor, has refined contemporary management of these tumors. Problematic, however, is the paucity of prospective clinical trials that provide an evidence-based algorithm for managing meningioma. The current review summarizes the published literature regarding the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent meningioma, with an emphasis on outcomes stratified by World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade. In particular this review focuses on patient outcomes following treatment (either adjuvant or at recurrence) with surgery or radiation therapy inclusive of radiosurgery and fractionated irradiation. Phase II trials for patients with meningioma have recently completed accrual within the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) consortia, and phase III studies are being developed. However, at present, there are no completed prospective, randomized trials assessing the role of either surgery or radiotherapy. Successful completion of future studies will require a multidisciplinary effort, dissemination of the current knowledge base, improved implementation of WHO grading criteria, standardization of response criteria and other outcome endpoints, and concerted efforts to address weaknesses in present treatment paradigms, particularly for patients with progressive or recurrent low grade meningioma, or with high-grade meningioma. In parallel efforts, Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) subcommittees are developing a manuscript on systemic therapies for meningioma, and a separate article proposing standardized endpoint and response criteria for meningioma

Outcome of excisional surgeries for the patients with spinal metastases

To evaluate the outcome of the excisional surgeries (en bloc/debulking) in spinal metastatic treatment in 10 years. A total of 131 patients (134 lesions) with spinal metastases were studied. The postoperative survival time and the local recurrence rate were calculated statistically. The comparison of the two procedures on the survival time, local recurrence rate, and neurologic change were made. The median survival time of the en bloc surgery and the debulking surgery was 40.93 and 24.73 months, respectively, with no significant difference. The significant difference was shown in the local recurrence rate comparison, but not in neurological change comparison. 19.85% patients combined with surgical complications. The en bloc surgery can achieve a lower local recurrence rate than the debulking surgery, while was similar in survival outcome, neurological salvage, and incidence of complications. The risk of the excisional surgeries is high, however, good outcomes could be expected