Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and immunotherapy for recurrent meningiomas.
Meningioma is a common intracranial tumor, originating from the meninges of the skull or spinal canal. Most meningiomas are benign tumors, however atypical or anaplastic tumors can be found in 6% of cases. Patients with asymptomatic small benign meningiomas can be followed without therapy, but in symptomatic patients complete surgical resection should be performed. For recurrent previously resected tumors re-resection is recommended followed by radiotherapy in selected cases. Antiprogesterone treatment can also be considered in recurrent benign meningiomas. Immunotherapy with interferon-alpha and chemotherapy should be reserved for all cases of recurrent meningiomas (benign, atypical, and malignant) when all the standard therapies have failed or contraindicated.
Sioka
Chrissa
C
Neurosurgical Research Institute, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, University Campus, and Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110, Greece. csioka@yahoo.com
Kyritsis
Athanassios P
AP
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000628:therapy*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal