Characteristics and overall survival in pediatric versus adult esthesioneuroblastoma: A population-based study.

Background: Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is an uncommon sinonasal malignancy and is even less common in the pediatric population.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare characteristics and outcomes of ENB between adult and pediatric patients.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients with histologically proven ENB of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, and then baseline characteristics, treatment, and survival data compared between the pediatric (age < 18 years) and adult (age ≥ 18 years) populations.

Characteristics and overall survival in pediatric versus adult skull base chordoma: a population-based study.

Purpose: Less than 5% of chordomas occur in pediatric patients. While many studies have explored the treatment and outcomes of skull base chordomas, few have focused on the differences between pediatric and adult populations. The aim of this study is to analyze the epidemiological variables and clinical outcomes between pediatric and adult skull base chordomas using a large-sample, population-based cancer database.

Ergonomics of Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Objective: There has been a significant expansion in endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery (EES) that has been used to address a wide range of intracranial and sinonasal pathologies. Although there exists a large amount of literature on approaches and patient outcomes, there is a paucity of data describing ergonomics in this field. Our goal was to evaluate and summarize the literature on ergonomics in EES.

The role of regulatory T-cells in glioma immunology.

Despite recent advances in treatment, the prognosis for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains poor. The lack of response to treatment in GBM patients may be attributed to the immunosuppressed microenvironment that is characteristic of invasive glioma. Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are immunosuppressive T-cells that normally prevent autoimmunity when the human immune response is evoked; however, there have been strong correlations between glioma-induced immunosuppression and Tregs.

Regulation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell induction by Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Wnt signaling has been implicated in promoting somatic cell reprogramming. However, its molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here we report that Wnt/β-catenin enhances iPSCs induction at the early stage of reprogramming.

Comparison of glioma-associated antigen peptide-loaded versus autologous tumor lysate-loaded dendritic cell vaccination in malignant glioma patients.

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccination is emerging as a promising therapeutic option for malignant glioma patients. However, the optimal antigen formulation for loading these cells has yet to be established. The objective of this study was to compare the safety, feasibility, and immune responses of malignant glioma patients on 2 different DC vaccination protocols.

Intraoperative neuromonitoring techniques in the surgical management of acoustic neuromas.

Unfavorable outcomes such as facial paralysis and deafness were once unfortunate probable complications following resection of acoustic neuromas. However, the implementation of intraoperative neuromonitoring during acoustic neuroma surgery has demonstrated placing more emphasis on quality of life and preserving neurological function. A modern review demonstrates a great degree of recent success in this regard.

Hearing preservation after LINAC radiosurgery and LINAC radiotherapy for vestibular schwannoma.

Linear accelerators (LINAC) can deliver both radiosurgery and fractionated radiotherapy. In this systematic analysis, we compare hearing preservation in patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) treated with either LINAC-based radiotherapy (SRT) or LINAC-based radiosurgery (SRS), with an emphasis on the prognostic implications of tumor size and patient age. A total of 400 patients met our criteria for LINAC SRS, with an average hearing preservation rate of 66.

Monitoring of regulatory T cell frequencies and expression of CTLA-4 on T cells, before and after DC vaccination, can predict survival in GBM patients.

Purpose: Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines have recently emerged as an innovative therapeutic option for glioblastoma patients. To identify novel surrogates of anti-tumor immune responsiveness, we studied the dynamic expression of activation and inhibitory markers on peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) subsets in glioblastoma patients treated with DC vaccination at UCLA.

Experimental Design: Pre-treatment and post-treatment PBL from 24 patients enrolled in two Phase I clinical trials of dendritic cell immunotherapy were stained and analyzed using flow cytometry.

Post-transplantation primary central nervous system lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Background: Post-transplantation primary central nervous system lymphoma (PT-PCNSL) is a rare neoplasm that can develop within months to years after transplantation, and imaging often reveals multiple lesions with homogeneous or ring enhancement. The clinical and imaging presentation of PT-PCNSL can often be nonspecific and present a diagnostic challenge.

Case Description: A 56-year-old woman presented to a tertiary university emergency room with altered mental status 15 months after undergoing renal transplantation.

The molecular biology and novel treatments of vestibular schwannomas.

Vestibular schwannomas are histopathologically benign tumors arising from the Schwann cell sheath surrounding the vestibular branch of cranial nerve VIII and are related to the NF2 gene and its product merlin. Merlin acts as a tumor suppressor and as a mediator of contact inhibition. Thus, deficiencies in both NF2 genes lead to vestibular schwannoma development.

Clinical characteristics and diagnostic imaging of epidermoid tumors.

Epidermoid tumors are rare, benign congenital lesions which typically present between the third and fifth decades of life. They are thought to originate from ectodermal cells misplaced during neural tube formation and separation. While epidermoids may present anywhere in the cranial vault, they are characteristically located intradurally and in a paramedian position within the cerebellopontine angle and parasellar regions.

The tumor biology and molecular characteristics of medulloblastoma identifying prognostic factors associated with survival outcomes and prognosis.

Medulloblastomas (MB) are highly aggressive primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) usually located in the posterior fossa. Current treatment for MBs, which includes a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, remain challenging especially in younger patients. However, advances in the understanding of regulatory pathways in cerebellar development have elucidated possible areas of dysfunction involved in tumorigenesis.