Introduction The broad definition of high-grade glioma encompasses all central nervous system neoplasms that are derived from glial components of the brain and show anaplasia (i.e., poor cellular differentiation, atypia, pleomorphism, and loss of normal cellular organization). This chapter focuses…
Introduction The understanding of low-grade gliomas has significantly changed over the past 10 years. Genomic and epigenetic discoveries have revolutionized our understanding of these cancers. For the first time, the 2016 WHO classification of central nervous system tumors integrated molecular…
Introduction Meningiomas are slow-growing extraaxial tumors that account for about 25% of all intracranial tumors. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies meningiomas as grade I, II, or III based upon morphologic criteria with higher grades correlating with more aggressive behavior…
Disclosures Dr. Ly has no disclosures. Dr. Jordan has research funding from the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the Burke Foundation. He receives royalties from Elsevier and has received honoraria from the American Academy of Neurology.…
Introduction Spinal cord tumors are uncommon causes of back pain, radicular pain, and sensorimotor deficits in adults and pediatric patients. Primary spinal tumors are less common than intracranial tumors and represent approximately 2–4% of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors.…
Introduction The posterior fossa is the infratentorial compartment of the cranial vault, which houses the cerebellum and the bulk of the brainstem. Tumors that occur in this region can arise from, or spread to, any of the adjacent structures. The…
Introduction Central nervous system (CNS) tumors encompass histologically diverse entities with widely varying prognostic and therapeutic implications. Within the brain, tumors can be divided into two main categories: primary and secondary brain tumors. Primary brain tumors arise from the brain…
Introduction There is significant overlap in the imaging appearance and presentation of dural-based mass lesions. The differential diagnosis includes both benign lesions (such as meningioma—WHO grade I) and more aggressive, malignant lesions (such as dural-based metastasis, atypical or malignant meningioma—WHO…
Introduction Chemotherapy has a crucial role in the management of gliomas. Traditionally, the management is characterized by an extensive surgery followed by a combination of radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy. In general, chemotherapy has been used as a neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or…
Background: radiation biology and physics overview Radiation therapy treats cancer by causing DNA damage, most importantly double-strand breaks (DSBs). Although normal cells can efficiently detect and repair DSBs through homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining, malignant cells lack these mechanisms…