title: The role of chemotherapy and targeted therapy in the treatment of intracranial meningioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Outline current chemotherapy and targeted therapy treatments for intracranial meningiomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At present, there is no defined role for adjuvant chemotherapy for meningioma of any grade following initial diagnosis. In the subpopulation of patients with an unresectable meningioma and refractory to radiotherapy, hormonal chemotherapy-targeted therapy may be prescribed. Notwithstanding limited data, hydroxyurea, somatostatin analogues and interferon-α have been modestly successful in patients with recurrent meningiomas. Emerging targeted therapies, particularly angiogenic inhibitors, may prove useful in refractory meningiomas as recently demonstrated with sunitinib and novel somatostatin analogues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of challenges are apparent with respect to the use of chemotherapy or targeted therapy for intracranial meningioma. First, there is very limited published literature that provides compelling evidence from which to determine appropriate therapy. Second, there is a paucity of clinical trials for patients with recurrent meningioma. Third, there remains a lack of agreement or standardization as to what constitutes a meaningful response to medical therapy recognizing these metrics differ between low-grade and high-grade recurrent meningioma. As a consequence, there remains a significant unmet need in neuro-oncology for defining the role of chemotherapy or targeted therapy in recurrent meningioma.
authors: Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109-1023, USA. chambemc@uw.edu
authors: Marc C
authors: MC
authors: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008579:Meningioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control; D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D017479:Receptors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor