From the Research
The prognosis for brain meningiomas is generally favorable, with most being benign (over 90%) and slow-growing, as reported in the most recent study 1. The prognosis depends on several factors including tumor location, size, grade, extent of surgical removal, patient age, and overall health. Some key points to consider are:
- WHO grade I meningiomas have the best outcomes, while higher grade tumors (II and III) have higher recurrence rates and shorter survival times.
- Complete surgical resection (Simpson grade I or II) offers the best chance for cure, though some locations make total removal challenging.
- Radiation therapy may be used for incompletely resected tumors, recurrent tumors, or higher-grade meningiomas to improve local control.
- Even with incomplete removal, many meningiomas grow very slowly, allowing patients to live for many years with minimal symptoms.
- Regular follow-up imaging is essential to monitor for recurrence, typically MRI scans every 1-3 years depending on tumor characteristics and treatment history, as suggested by 2 and 3.
- Targeted therapies, such as those targeting somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), show promise for the treatment of refractory meningiomas, as discussed in 1.
- The discovery of genetic and epigenetic landscapes of meningiomas has enabled the identification of new prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets, as highlighted in 4 and 3. Overall, the management of brain meningiomas requires a nuanced approach, taking into account the individual characteristics of the tumor and the patient, as emphasized in 5 and 1.