3. INTRODUCTION
• Meningioma was first coined by Harvey Cushing (1922).
• Refers to a set of tumors that arise contiguously to the meninges.
• Meningiomas may occur intracranially or within the spinal canal.
They are thought to arise from arachnoidal cap cells, which reside in
the arachnoid layer covering the surface of the brain.
Meningiomas can also occur in an intraventricular or
intraosseous location. (Rare)
4. EPIDEMIOLOGY
• 2-10 cases per 100,000 individuals.
• Account for approximately 20% of all primary intracranial neoplasms.
majority are benign, with about 1%-3% classified as malignant
98% are intracranial but may arise anywhere in central nervous system
• 2.3% of individuals have undiagnosed asymptomatic meningioma on
autopsy.
• Synchronous Meningiomas in 5-40% of cases.
• Women affected twice as often as men. (1:1.4 to 1:2.8)
8.4-9.6 for women vs 2.2-3.8 for men per 100,000.
• Incidence increases with age.
5. RISK FACTORS
• Likely
First degree relative.
NF2 gene – Chromosome 22q12.2
• Merlin Protein (thought to be involved in cell-to-cell contact and motility)
• Lower expression in meningioma and loss of Merlin protein lead to
development of benign meningioma.
Exposure to ionizing radiation
• Cranial radiation associated with increased risk of meningioma and other central
nervous system tumors in survivors of childhood cancer.
• Computed tomography scans during childhood or adolescence associated with
increased risk of brain cancer.
any cancer
brain cancer
6. • Possible
HRT
Obesity
Intrathecal Methotrexate
Oral Contraceptive
• Current or past hormone replacement therapy associated with
increased risk of meningioma.
• Increased with any estradiol-only therapy.
• Increased with use of estradiol-only for ≥ 3 years.
• Not significantly affected by use of estradiol plus progestin.
• Obesity associated with increased risk of meningioma
compared to normal weight.
7. Associated Syndromes
•Hereditary syndromes associated with
meningioma include
Li-Fraumeni syndrome – AD, TP53, Sarcoma, breast,
leukaemia and adrenal gland (SBLA) syndrome.
Turcot – DNA repair, HNPCC + Brain tumour.
Gardener – Cr5q21, APC, AD
Von Hippel-Lindau – Cr3p25, AD, VHL suppresor gene
Cowden – PTEN tumour suppresor.
Gorlin – Cr9q22 PTCH1 tumour suppressor
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I – pituitary, parathyroid,
and pancreas.
10. • Presentation depends on size and location of tumor frequent
manifestations include:
– Partial seizures (most common symptom)
– Headache
– Personality changes
– Neuropsychological deficits
– Sensory-motor symptoms
– Visual symptoms eg Foster-Kennedy
– Aphasia
11. Mechanism
• Irritation: By irritating the underlying cortex, meningiomas can cause
seizures. New-onset seizures in adults justify neuroimaging (eg, MRI) to
exclude the possibility of an intracranial neoplasm.
• Compression: Localized or nonspecific headaches are common.
Compression of the underlying brain can give rise to focal or more
generalized cerebral dysfunction, as evinced by focal weakness, dysphasia,
apathy, and/or somnolence.
• Causing reactive swelling in brain tissue surrounding the tumor
12. • Blocking the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (hydrocephalus) in the
brain and spinal cord resulting in its accumulation
• Blocking the flow of blood in various veins and arteries in the head by
compressing these structures or invading them.
• Others:
Meningiomas in the vicinity of the sella turcica may produce
panhypopituitarism.
Meningiomas that compress the visual pathways produce various visual field
defects, depending on their location. – e.g. Foster Kennedy syndrome
15. IMAGING
• Meningiomas are located at any site where meninges are found.
• Modalities
X Ray
CT
MRI
16. X Ray
• X Ray no longer have a role in the diagnosis or management of
meningiomas. Historically a number of features were observed,
including:
enlarged meningeal A. grooves
hyperostosis or lytic regions
calcification
17. Computerized Tomography
CT is often the first modality employed to investigate
neurological signs or symptoms, and often is the modality
which detects an incidental lesion.
• 60% slightly hyper-dense to normal brain
• 20-30% have some calcification 8
• 72% brightly and homogenously contrast enhance 8, less frequent in
malignant or cystic variants
• Hyperostosis
otypical for meningiomas that abut the base of skull
oneed to distinguish reactive hyperostosis from skull vault invasion (eventually
involves the outer table too)
Lytic regions
18.
19. MRI
• MRI is the investigation of choice for the diagnosis and
characterization of meningiomas.
• When appearance and location is typical, the diagnosis can be made
with a very high degree of certainty.
• Typically appear as extra-axial masses with a broad dural base. They
are usually homogeneous and well circumscribed.
Frontal view at MRI of a typical convexity
meningioma
23. Macroscopic Microscopic
In general there are two main
macroscopic forms: globose and en
plaque.
• Globose are rounded, well defined
dural masses, likened to the
appearance of a fried egg seen in
profile.
• En plaque meningiomas on the
other hand are extensive regions
of dural thickening.
• Arise from meningothelial arachnoid
cells
• Histological sub types include
Transitional
Fibroblastic
Syncytial
Psammomatous
Secretory
Microcytic
Papillary and rhabdoid : have a
propensity to recur
24. HISTOLOGICAL GRADING
• WHO grading 1993, 2000, 2007:
• WHO 1 meningioma : 80-90%
• Varying rates of progression to higher grade
• 7%-20% recurrence rate
• Pathologic features include
• Pleomorphic,
• Occasional mitotic figures,
• Absence of pathologic features found in atypical or anaplastic
meningiomas
• Histologic types include
• Meningothelial,
• Psammomatous,
• Secretory,
• Fibroblastic,
• Angiomatous,
• Lymphoplasmacyte rich,
• Transitional,
• Microcytic,
• Metaplastic
25. • WHO 2 atypical meningioma (atypical, clear cell,
chordoid) : 5-15 %
• 30%-40% recurrence rate
• Pathologic features include any of
• 4 mitotic figures per 10 high-power fields of 0.16
mm2
• 3 of (a) increased cellularity, (b) small cells with
high N:C ratio, (c) prominent nucleoli, (d) sheet-like
growth, (e) necrosis
• Brain invasion
26. • WHO 3 malignant meningioma (rhabdoid, anaplastic, papillary) :
1-3 %
• 50%-80% recurrence rate
• pathologic features require 20 mitotic figures per 10 high-power
fields of 0.16 mm2 or frank anaplastic features
28. Overview
• Treatment depends on meningioma size and location, and on
patient age, symptoms, comorbidities, health status, and treatment
preference
• Conservative management, consisting of observation with close
monitoring of clinical and disease status, may be option for
patients with asymptomatic meningioma
29. • For patients with symptomatic meningioma, or with asymptomatic
progressively enlarging tumors, complete surgical resection
recommended, where possible
• Alternative options include
Partial surgical resection plus radiation therapy
Radiation therapy
• For patients with inoperable or recurrent meningioma after surgery
or radiation therapy, medical therapies may be tried but have
limited and inconsistent evidence of efficacy
31. Selecting treatment modality
• Meningioma treatment approach treatment of asymptomatic meningioma
For lesions < 3 cm (long axis), options include
Observation
Surgery for tumor with potential neurologic consequences if
accessible, followed by radiation therapy for world health organization
(WHO) grade III tumor or for subtotal resection of WHO grade II
tumor
Radiotherapy for tumor with potential for neurologic consequences
For lesions > 3 cm, options include
Surgery if tumor is accessible followed by radiotherapy if tumor is
WHO grade III, and consider radiotherapy if resection is incomplete
and tumor is WHO grade I or II
Observation
32. • Treatment of symptomatic meningioma
For lesions < 3 cm, options include
Surgery if tumor is accessible, followed by radiotherapy for
WHO grade III tumors
Radiotherapy
For lesions > 3 cm, options include
Surgery if tumor is accessible, followed by radiotherapy for
WHO grade III tumors, and consider radiotherapy for
incomplete resection of WHO grade I or II tumors
Radiotherapy
33. • Treatment options for recurrent meningioma include
Surgery if accessible, or radiotherapy
Additional radiotherapy if tumor not surgically accessible
Chemotherapy if tumor not surgically accessible and additional
radiotherapy not possible
34. Medical
• Indications of Medical Therapy
Malignant tumors,
Inoperable tumors,
Patients not candidates for surgery, or
When other treatment options have been exhausted
• Types:
Chemotherapy
Hormonal therapy for unresectable or recurrent meningioma
Other
Somatostatin receptor agents
Targeted molecular agents for recurrent or progressive
meningioma
35. Chemotherapy
• Hydroxyurea
• Patients with progression of World Health Organization (WHO)
Grade II or III meningioma treated with hydroxyurea reported
to have median 2 months progression-free survival.
• Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and Vincristine (CAV)
• Patients with malignant meningioma treated with CAV
chemotherapy following surgery and radiation therapy reported
to have median survival 5.3 years
36. Hormonal Therapy
• Tamoxifen reported to improve or stabilize refractory unresectable
meningioma in some patients
• Mifepristone reported to improve tumor size or visual field in
some patients with unresectable meningioma
• Patients with refractory recurrent meningioma treated with
temozolomide reported to have median survival 7.5 months
37. Other Agents
Somatostatin Analogues
• Patients with recurrent WHO grade II or III meningioma treated
with octreotide reported to have median 4.2 months to progression
• Patients with recurrent or progressive unresectable meningioma
treated with octreotide reported to have median 17 weeks to
progression
• Patients with progressive recurrent meningioma treated with 90y-
edotreotide radionuclide therapy reported to have median survival
69 months for WHO grade I tumors and 30.5 months for WHO
grade II-III tumors
38. Interferon α
• Patients with progression of WHO grade I unresectable
meningioma treated with interferon alpha reported to have median
survival 8 months
39. • Targeted molecular agents for recurrent or progressive
meningioma
• Patients with recurrent meningioma following surgery and
radiation therapy treated with Imatinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor)
600-800 mg/day reported to have median progression-free survival
of 2 months in case series of 23 patients.
• Patients with recurrent meningioma treated with an epidural
growth factor inhibitor, Gefitinib or Erlotinib, reported to have
median overall survival of 23 months.
40. Seizure Prophylaxis
Prophylactic antiepileptic drugs may not be effective for prevention
of seizures in patients having craniotomy
• Systematic review of 6 randomized trials evaluating prophylactic treatment
with antiepileptic drugs in 1,398 patients without epilepsy having craniotomy
• Comparing phenytoin to placebo or no treatment
• Phenytoin significantly reduced early seizures (< 1 week postoperatively) in 1 of 4 trials
• No significant differences in late seizures in 3 of 3 trials
• No significant differences in any outcomes comparing other antiepileptics vs.
No treatment or comparing different antiepileptics
42. Simpson Grading 1957
• Grade I
complete removal including resection of underlying bone and associated
dura
9% symptomatic recurrence at 10 years
• Grade II
complete removal and coagulation of dural attachment
19% symptomatic recurrence at 10 years
• Grade III
complete removal w/o resection of dura or coagulation
29% symptomatic recurrence at 10 years
• Grade IV
subtotal resection
44% symptomatic recurrence at 10 years
• Grade V
decompression with or without biopsy
100% symptomatic recurrence at 10 years (small sample in original paper)
43. Embolization
• Preoperative embolization of meningioma to minimize intraoperative
bleeding
• Embolization may be an alternative primary treatment of
meningioma for patients not candidates for craniotomy and surgical
resection. - Reported associated with marked tumor shrinkage over
20 months.
46. Indications/Side effects
• Primary treatment for inoperable meningioma or for patients for whom
surgery would be inappropriate
follow-up treatment for patients with incomplete resection of meningioma
• Complete tumor eradication not possible but tumor shrinkage reported
• Treatment to dose of 54 Gy for Grade I and 60 Gy for Grade II-III.
• Complications of radiation therapy may include
Alopecia
Tooth loss
New onset seizures
Neurological deficits
Cranial nerve palsy
Headache
Edema
Radio-necrosis
Delayed hydrocephalus
47. Conventional – Whole Brain Radiotherapy
• Conventional radiation therapy used to treat incompletely resected
meningioma, or treat patients for whom surgery is inappropriate
• Addition of radiation therapy to partial resection may not improve
overall survival but may reduce tumor progression in patients with
WHO Grade I cerebral meningioma.
5-year progression-free survival91% for partial tumor resection plus radiation therapy
vs. 38% for partial tumor resection alone (p = 0.0005)
77% for total tumor resection vs. 52% for partial tumor resection with or without
radiation therapy (p = 0.02)
65% overall
48. • Whole-brain irradiation is administered through parallel-opposed
lateral portals. The inferior field border should be inferior to the
cribriform plate, the middle cranial fossa, and the foramen magnum,
all of which should be distinguishable on simulation or portal
localization radiographs.
• The safety margin depends on penumbra width, head fixation, and
anatomic factors but should be at least 1 cm, even under optimal
conditions.
• A special problem arises anteriorly because sparing of the ocular
lenses and lacrimal glands may require blocking with margins <5 mm
at the cribriform plate.
49. • The anterior border of the field should be approximately 3 cm
posterior to the ipsilateral eyelid for the diverging beam to exclude
the contralateral lens. However, this results in only approximately
40% of the prescribed dose to the posterior eye.
• A better alternative is to angle the beam approximately 3 degrees or
more (100- or 80-cm source-to-axis distance midline, but also field
size dependent) against the frontal plane so that the anterior beam
border traverses posterior to the lenses (approximately 2 cm
posterior to eyelid markers).
• Placing a radiopaque marker on both lateral canthi and aligning the
markers permits individualization in terms of the couch angle.
• This arrangement provides full dose to the posterior eyes. However,
the eyelid-to-lens and eyelid-to-retina topography is individually
more constant than the canthus, and lateral beam eye shielding is
better individualized with the aid of CT or MRI scans.
• When in doubt about tumor coverage or lens sparing for tumors in a
subfrontal or middle cranial fossa location, one should consider CT-
based contouring and planning.
50.
51.
52. SRS
• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) may be alternative to external beam
radiation in patients with recurrent or partially resected
meningiomas < 35 mm in diameter
• Contraindications to surgery due to comorbidities or tumor location
• Skull base tumors of small or moderate size, for which surgical
resection carries greater risk
• Allows larger radiation doses to be delivered more accurately and
limits radiation exposure to surrounding tissue.
53.
54. Fractionated SRS
• Fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy spares normal tissue
sensitive to hypofractionation.
• Preferred treatment of optic nerve sheath meningioma.
55. Examples of radiation therapy planning of
(A) stereotactic radiosurgery as a salvage therapy for a patient
with recurrent meningioma,
(B) fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy as a definitive
therapy for a patient with unresectable tumor due to a high
risk of cranial nerve damage after a surgery and
(C) 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy as a postoperative
radiotherapy for a patient with residual tumor after surgical
resection.
56. Gamma Knife
Based on case series of 4,565 patients with 5,300 benign meningiomas
• 10-year progression-free survival 88.6% and 5-year progression-free survival
95.2%
• Permanent morbidity rate at last follow-up 6.6%
• Tumor volume after treatment
Decreased in 58%
Unchanged in 34.5%
Increased in 7.5%
Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery as primary treatment for
cavernous sinus meningiomas may be associated with better
neurologic recovery than surgical resection with adjuvant radiosurgery.
57. The scans below show a patient with meningioma
The scans below show the same patient with meningioma SIX
MONTHS after gamma knife treatment.
58. Cyber Knife
Multisession Cyber Knife radiosurgery for a petrosal meningioma in a patient
affected by multiple sclerosis.
59. IMRT
• IMRT is computer optimized 3D conformal tumor localization with
computer-controlled radiation intensity modulation
• Appropriate for tumors that are irregularly shaped and too large for
stereotactic radiosurgery.
62. Radiation oncologists at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center are
conducting a Phase II clinical trial to ascertain the feasibility of
proton therapy as an adjunct to surgery for WHO Grade I-III
meningiomas and hemangiopericytomas.
This study seeks to assess the effect of proton therapy on rates of
acute toxicity, fatigue and quality of life in the same population. The
frequency of recurrence and long term toxicity will also be
evaluated.
63. The Most Significant Benefits of Proton
Therapy
• Causes fewer short- and long-term
side effects
• Proven to be effective in adults and
children
• Targets tumors and cancer cells
with precision, reducing the risk of
damage to surrounding healthy
tissue and organs
• Reduces the likelihood of secondary
tumors caused by treatment
• Treats recurrent tumors, even in
patients who have already received
radiation
• Improves quality of life during and
after treatment
64. Study Compares Effects of X-ray Radiation with
Proton Therapy
• A study analyzed patients
treated with X-ray radiation and
compared them with patients
treated with proton therapy.
• Of the patients treated with X-
ray radiation, 12.8% developed
secondary cancers caused by
treatment, while only 6.4% of
the proton therapy patients
developed secondary cancers.
66. Follow up
• No standard guidelines for follow-up.
• For symptomatic patients, individualize follow-up based on tumor grade,
previous treatment, and remaining treatment options
Consider first magnetic resonance imaging 3-6 months after surgery or
radiotherapy
Perform subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) every 6 months for 2
years in clinically stable patients, and then every year as indicated, and
thereafter, every 2 years
For patients with atypical or malignant meningioma, MRI every 3 months during
first year and subsequently as for malignant brain tumors
• For asymptomatic meningioma
Observation with close clinical and radiological follow-up
Serial volumetric measurements of tumor are useful, especially in younger
patients with greater potential for tumor growth
67. Prognosis
• Median patient survival reported as:
10 years for WHO grade I meningioma
11.5 years for WHO grade II meningioma
2.7 years for WHO grade III meningioma
• Patients with meningioma have reduced survival compared to
general population.
Compared to population without meningioma, meningioma associated with83% 1-year
relative survival rate
71% 15-year relative survival rate
• 5-year survival rate:
81% for patients aged 21-64 years and 56% for patients ≥ 65 years old
• Larger tumor size at presentation and faster tumor growth rate
might be associated with new or worsening symptoms in patients
with untreated meningiomas
4% with tumor diameter < 2 cm, 17% with tumor diameter > 2.5 to 3 cm
0% with tumor diameter 2-2.5 cm growing at ≤ 10% per year AND42% with tumor
diameter 2-2.5 cm growing at ≥ 10% per year
68. • For benign meningiomas, factors independently associated
with longer survival included:
female sex, Caucasian race, surgery, small tumor size, no radiation
treatment, skull base tumor, and treatment at community
hospitals
• For malignant meningiomas, factors independently
associated with longer survival included:
Younger age at diagnosis, female sex, surgery, no radiation
treatment, and ≥ 800 new cancer cases seen per year by the
treating hospital
A useful mnemonic to remember the associated neoplasias is below:
MEN I (3 Ps) - Pituitary, Parathyroid, PancreasMEN IIa (1M,2Ps) - Medullary Thyroid Ca, Pheochromocytoma, ParathyroidMEN IIb (2Ms,1P) - Medullary Thyroid Ca, Marfanoid habitus/mucosal neuroma, Pheochromocytoma
Foster Kennedy refers to a constellation of findings associated with tumors of the frontal lobe.[1]
The syndrome is defined as the following changes:
1) optic atrophy in the ipsilateral eye
2) Papilledema in the contralateral eye
3) Central scotoma (loss of vision in the middle of the visual fields) in the ipsilateral eye
4) anosmia (loss of smell) ipsilaterally
This syndrome is due to optic nerve compression, olfactory nerve compression, and increased intracranial pressure (ICP) secondary to a mass (such as meningioma or plasmacytoma, usually an olfactory groove meningioma).[4][5] There are other symptoms present in some cases such as nausea and vomiting, memory loss and emotional lability (i.e. frontal lobe signs).[5]
meningioma treatment approach treatment of asymptomatic meningioma
for lesions < 3 cm (long axis), options include
observation
surgery for tumor with potential neurologic consequences if accessible, followed by radiation therapy for World Health Organization (WHO) Grade III tumor or for subtotal resection of WHO Grade II tumor
radiotherapy for tumor with potential for neurologic consequences
for lesions > 3 cm, options include
surgery if tumor is accessible followed by radiotherapy if tumor is WHO Grade III, and consider radiotherapy if resection is incomplete and tumor is WHO Grade I or II
observation
treatment of symptomatic meningioma
for lesions < 3 cm, options include
surgery if tumor is accessible, followed by radiotherapy for WHO Grade III tumors
radiotherapy
for lesions > 3 cm, options include
surgery if tumor is accessible, followed by radiotherapy for WHO Grade III tumors, and consider radiotherapy for incomplete resection of WHO Grade I or II tumors
radiotherapy
treatment options for recurrent meningioma include
surgery if accessible, or radiotherapy
additional radiotherapy if tumor not surgically accessible
chemotherapy if tumor not surgically accessible and additional radiotherapy not possible
hydroxyurea
patients with progression of World Health Organization (WHO) Grade II or III meningioma treated with hydroxyurea reported to have median 2 months progression-free survival (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 35 patients previously treated with surgery plus radiotherapy
patients given hydroxyurea 1,000 mg/m2 orally in 2 divided doses per day
Reference - J Neurooncol 2012 Apr;107(2):315
hydroxyurea reported to stabilize disease in most patients with unresectable or residual meningioma following surgery (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 20 patients treated with hydroxyurea 20 mg/kg/day orally
median time to progression was 176 weeks
70% had no progression within 1 year
Reference - Br J Neurosurg 2004 Oct;18(5):495 EBSCOhost Full Text
cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and vincristine (CAV) chemotherapy regimen
patients with malignant meningioma treated with CAV chemotherapy following surgery and radiation therapy reported to have median survival 5.3 years (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 14 patients (median age 51 years)
median time to tumor progression 4.6 years
dose reduction or early termination of CAV regimen in 7 patients due to myelosuppression
Reference - J Neurosurg 1996 May;84(5):733 full-text
tamoxifen reported to improve or stabilize refractory unresectable meningioma in some patients (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 21 patients, 19 evaluable
patients given tamoxifen 40 mg/m2 twice daily for 4 days followed by 10 mg/m2 twice daily thereafter
3 patients had minor or partial response by neuroimaging
6 patients remained stable for median 31 months
10 patients had tumor progression
Reference - J Neurooncol 1993 Jan;15(1):75
mifepristone reported to improve tumor size or visual field in some patients with unresectable meningioma (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 28 patients treated with mifepristone 200 mg/day orally for median 35 months
5 patients had small decrease in tumor size
3 patients had improved visual field exam
3 patients developed endometrial hyperplasia or polyps and 1 developed peritoneal adenocarcinoma after 9 years treatment
Reference - Cancer Invest 2006 Dec;24(8):727 EBSCOhost Full Text full-text
patients with refractory recurrent meningioma treated with temozolomide reported to have median survival 7.5 months (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 16 patients with previous surgery and radiation therapy
patients treated with temozolomide orally for 42 consecutive days every 10 weeks
median survival 7.5 months (range 4-9 months)
median time to tumor progression 5 months (range 2.5-5 months)
no patient had neuroradiographic complete or partial response
Reference - Neurology 2004 Apr 13;62(7):1210
patients with recurrent WHO Grade II or III meningioma treated with octreotide reported to have median 4.2 months to progression (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 9 patients (median age 65 years) with prior surgery and radiation therapy
patients treated with octreotide (somatostatin analog) 30-40 mg intramuscularly once every 28 days until progression
all patients had progressive disease at 10 months
no partial radiographic responses
Reference - Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2014 May;73(5):919
patients with recurrent or progressive unresectable meningioma treated with octreotide reported to have median 17 weeks to progression (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 12 patients with previous surgery and radiation therapy (1 patient had hemangiopericytoma)
patients treated with octreotide 500 mcg subcutaneously 3 times daily
median survival 2.7 years
2 patients had long progression-free periods (30 months and ≥ 18 years)
no radiographic response reported
Reference - Neuro Oncol 2011 May;13(5):530 full-text
patients with progressive recurrent meningioma treated with 90Y-edotreotide radionuclide therapy reported to have median survival 69 months for WHO Grade I tumors and 30.5 months for WHO Grade II-III tumors (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)based on case series of 29 patients (median age 54 years) with previous meningioma treatment (surgery, radiation therapy) and scintigraphically proven somatostatin subtype 2 receptor-positive meningioma
patients given peptide receptor radionuclide therapy using 90Y-edotreotide (DOTATOC)
median time to progression 61 months for WHO Grade I tumors and 13 months for WHO Grade II-III tumors
no patient had radiographic complete or partial response
Reference - Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2009 Sep;36(9):1407 EBSCOhost Full Text
based on case series of 35 patients (median age 61 years) with tumor progression following surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy
all patients treated with interferon alpha 10 million units/m2 subcutaneously every other day
median survival 8 months (range 3-28 months)
progression-free survival 54% at 6 months and 31% at 12 months
median time to tumor progression 7 months (range 2-24 months)
no patient had neuroradiographic complete or partial response
treatment terminated in 3 patients due to toxicity and 7 patients had dose reduction
Reference - Cancer 2008 Oct 15;113(8):2146 full-text
imatinib
patients with recurrent meningioma following surgery and radiation therapy treated with imatinib 600-800 mg/day reported to have median progression-free survival of 2 months in case series of 23 patients (Neuro Oncol 2009 Dec;11(6):853 full-text)
patients with recurrent or progressive meningioma treated with imatinib plus hydroxyurea reported to have 24-month survival of 100% for WHO Grade I tumors and 46.2% for WHO Grade II-III tumors despite significant tumor progression (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 21 patients treated with imatinib 400-1,000 mg/day plus hydroxyurea 500 mg twice daily
most patients had previous surgery or radiation therapy
8 patients had WHO Grade I tumors and 13 patients had WHO Grade II-III tumors
24-month survival 100% for WHO Grade I tumors and 46.2% for WHO Grade II-III tumors
24-month progression-free survival 12.5% for WHO Grade I tumors and 7.7% for WHO Grade II-III tumors
Reference - J Neurooncol 2012 Jan;106(2):409 full-text
patients with recurrent meningioma treated with an epidural growth factor inhibitor, gefitinib or erlotinib, reported to have median overall survival of 23 months (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series of 25 patients (median age 57 years) treated with gefitinib 500 mg/day (16 patients) or erlotinib 150 mg/day (9 patients)
8 patients had benign tumors and 17 had atypical or malignant tumors
median overall survival of 23 months
12-month survival was 60%
12-month progression free survival was 16%
no significant differences in overall survival or progression-free survival comparing patients with benign vs. atypical or malignant meningioma
Reference - J Neurooncol 2010 Jan;96(2):211 full-text
patients with progressive or recurrent meningioma treated with bevacizumab therapy, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, reported to have 6-month progression-free survival of 86% in case series of 14 adults (J Neurooncol 2012 Aug;109(1):63 full-text)
preoperative embolization of meningioma to minimize intraoperative bleeding(1, 3)
dense vascularization common and may be assessed preoperatively by magnetic resonance angiography
preoperative embolization in selected patients may reduce intraoperative bleeding and need for transfusion, operation time, and postoperative complications
risks include hemorrhage, extensive edema, and vascular infarction
embolization of meningioma in 1,012 patients reported to result in complications in 1.5% of patients but no significant disability in 91.3% of patients in Japanese neuroendovascular registry (Neuroradiology 2014 Feb;56(2):139)
embolization may be an alternative primary treatment of meningioma for patients not candidates for craniotomy and surgical resection(3)
embolization of meningioma by microcatheter delivery of gelatin microspheres reported associated with marked tumor shrinkage over 20 months in 6 of 7 patients not candidates for surgery in case series (Neuroradiology 2003 Jul;45(7):451)
conservative management (active surveillance)
asymptomatic meningiomas may be treated conservatively with close monitoring of clinical and radiological disease status(1, 2, 3)
conservative management of asymptomatic meningioma associated with tumor growth in 37% of patients and development of symptoms in 16% within 5 years
based on retrospective cohort study
1,434 patients with meningioma were evaluated
603 patients (42%) were asymptomatic
of 67 patients with conservative treatment and > 5 years follow-up
25 (37%) had tumor regrowth
11 (16%) developed symptoms
of 213 patients with surgical treatment, morbidity rate was 4.4% in patients < 70 years old and 9.4% in patients ≥ 70 years old
Reference - J Neurosurg 2006 Oct;105(4):538 full-text, commentary can be found in J Neurosurg 2006 Oct;105(4):536
based on cohort study92 patients with benign World Health Organization (WHO) Grade I cerebral meningioma had total tumor resection (48 patients), partial tumor resection (32 patients), or partial tumor resection plus adjuvant radiation therapy (12 patients), and were followed for median 7.7 yearsoverall survival rate was 93% (no significant differences between groups)5-year progression-free survival91% for partial tumor resection plus radiation therapy vs. 38% for partial tumor resection alone (p = 0.0005)
77% for total tumor resection vs. 52% for partial tumor resection with or without radiation therapy (p = 0.02)
65% overall
gamma-knife stereotactic radiosurgery reported to have 88.6% 10-year progression-free survival in patients with benign meningioma (level 3 [lacking direct] evidence)
based on case series
4,565 patients with 5,300 benign meningiomas treated with gamma-knife radiosurgery were evaluated
3,768 meningiomas with imaging follow-up ≥ 24 months (median 63 months) were analyzed
10-year progression-free survival 88.6% and 5-year progression-free survival 95.2%
permanent morbidity rate at last follow-up 6.6%
tumor volume after treatment
decreased in 58%
unchanged in 34.5%
increased in 7.5%
tumor control (tumor volume decreased or unchanged) significantly greater for
females vs. males
sporadic vs. multiple meningiomas
skull base vs. convexity (upper surface of the brain next to the skull) tumors
gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery as primary treatment for cavernous sinus meningiomas may be associated with better neurologic recovery than surgical resection with adjuvant radiosurgery (level 2 [mid-level] evidence)
based on cohort study
138 patients (mean age 56 years) with cavernous sinus meningioma were treated with primary gamma knife radiosurgery (68 patients) or surgical resection plus postoperative adjuvant gamma knife radiosurgery (70 patients)
111 patients with follow-up ≥ 12 months (median 48.2 months) were analyzed
neurologic recovery in 76% with gamma knife radiosurgery vs. 56.5% with adjuvant gamma knife radiosurgery (p < 0.03)
clinical condition improved or stable in 96.5% overall
control of tumor growth adequate in 97% overall (tumor shrinkage or disappearance in 63% of patients and no volume change 34%)
radio neurological complications were transient in 4 patients and permanent in 1 case
Reference - Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2002 Jul 15;53(4):992
survivalmedian patient survival reported as(1)
10 years for WHO Grade I meningioma
11.5 years for WHO Grade II meningioma
2.7 years for WHO Grade III meningioma
patients with meningioma have reduced survival compared to general population
based on retrospective cohort study
1,986 patients in Finland with histologically verified intracranial meningioma (1953-1984) were followed through 1987
compared to population without meningioma, meningioma associated with
83% 1-year relative survival rate
71% 15-year relative survival rate
Reference - Cancer 1992 Sep 15;70(6):1568
5-year survival rate 81% for patients aged 21-64 years and 56% for patients ≥ 65 years old
based on retrospective cohort study
9,827 patients with meningioma from National Cancer Data Base were evaluated
5-year survival
81% for patients aged 21-64 years
56% for patients ≥ 65 years old
70% for benign tumors
75% for atypical tumors
55% for malignant meningioma
for benign meningiomas, factors independently associated with longer survival included female sex, Caucasian race, surgery, small tumor size, no radiation treatment, skull base tumor, and treatment at community hospitals
for malignant meningiomas, factors independently associated with longer survival included younger age at diagnosis, female sex, surgery, no radiation treatment, and ≥ 800 new cancer cases seen per year by the treating hospital
Reference - J Neurosurg 1998 May;88(5):831 full-text