Management of Central Nervous System Tumors

Meningiomas represent a full spectrum of tumors that are the most common type of brain tumor in adults. Although most are benign, recent research has shown that the recurrence rate is high, especially for WHO grades 2 and 3, and overall survival is poor for these grades. Treatment is evolving, and recently sunitinib and bevacizumab have shown promise compared with historical treatments. However, more research is needed to identify better treatments for meningiomas. Treatment of brain metastases is another evolving field. Studies suggest that stereotactic radiosurgery is preferable to whole-brain radiation therapy and that immune checkpoint inhibitors and therapies targeted to the T790M mutation and ALK can improve outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and brain metastases.