Cognitive changes associated with central nervous system malignancies and treatment.

Objectives: To review the cognitive changes associated with infiltrative, malignant brain tumors and treatments for brain tumors.

Data Source: Review of journal articles and textbooks.

Conclusion: Improvements in surgical, radiation, and medical therapies for central nervous system malignancies have resulted in increased patient survival.

It's not your "run of the mill" meningioma: characteristics differentiating low-grade from high-grade meningeal tumors.

Approximately 30% of primary brain tumors are meningiomas; 90% of these are benign. The remaining 10% have aggressive pathological features and significantly higher recurrence rates. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and other medical therapies.

Use of Gliadel (BCNU) wafer in the surgical treatment of malignant glioma: a 10-year institutional experience.

Background: Gliadel (polifeprosan 20 with carmustine [BCNU] implant) is commonly used for local delivery of BCNU to high-grade gliomas after resection and is associated with increased survival. Various complications of Gliadel wafers have been reported but not consistently reproduced. We set out to characterize Gliadel-associated morbidity in our 10-year experience with Gliadel wafers for treatment of malignant glioma.

Interstitial chemotherapy for malignant gliomas: the Johns Hopkins experience.

Malignant gliomas are very difficult neoplasms for clinicians to treat. The reason for this is multifaceted. Many treatments that are effective for systemic cancer are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier and/or have unacceptable systemic toxicities.

Surgical management of patients with primary brain tumors.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the diagnostic work-up, intraoperative technologies, postoperative treatment options, and investigational new therapies in patients with malignant brain tumors.

Data Sources: Published textbooks and articles and other reference materials.

Conclusion: Recent improvements in diagnostic and surgical equipment have influenced outcomes and overall quality of life for patients with central nervous system tumors.