Efficacy and safety of carmustine wafers, followed by radiation, temozolomide, and bevacizumab therapy, for newly diagnosed glioblastoma with maximal resection.

Background: To improve the outcome in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients with maximal resection, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of implantation of carmustine wafers (CWs), radiation concomitant with temozolomide and bevacizumab, and maintenance chemotherapy with six cycles of temozolomide and bevacizumab.

Method: This prospective phase II study enrolled glioblastoma patients considered candidates for complete resection (> 90%) of a contrast-enhanced lesion. The CWs were intraoperatively implanted into the resection cavity after achieving maximal resection.

Transcriptome and methylome analysis of CNS germ cell tumor finds its cell-of-origin in embryogenesis and reveals shared similarities with testicular counterparts.

Background: CNS germ cell tumors (GCTs) predominantly develop in pediatric and young adult patients with variable responses to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This study aimed to examine the complex and largely unknown pathogenesis of CNS GCTs.

Methods: We used a combined transcriptomic and methylomic approach in 84 cases and conducted an integrative analysis of the normal cells undergoing embryogenesis and testicular GCTs.

Low tumor cell content predicts favorable prognosis in germinoma patients.

Background: Germinoma preferentially occurs in pediatric and young adult age groups. Although they are responsive to treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, the treatment may cause long-term sequelae in their later lives. Here, we searched for clinical and histopathological features to predict the prognosis of germinoma and affect treatment response.

Integrated clinical, histopathological, and molecular data analysis of 190 central nervous system germ cell tumors from the iGCT Consortium.

Background: We integrated clinical, histopathological, and molecular data of central nervous system germ cell tumors to provide insights into their management.

Methods: Data from the Intracranial Germ Cell Tumor Genome Analysis (iGCT) Consortium were reviewed. A total of 190 cases were classified as primary germ cell tumors (GCTs) based on central pathological reviews.

Significance of molecular classification of ependymomas: C11orf95-RELA fusion-negative supratentorial ependymomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors.

Extensive molecular analyses of ependymal tumors have revealed that supratentorial and posterior fossa ependymomas have distinct molecular profiles and are likely to be different diseases. The presence of C11orf95-RELA fusion genes in a subset of supratentorial ependymomas (ST-EPN) indicated the existence of molecular subgroups. However, the pathogenesis of RELA fusion-negative ependymomas remains elusive.

Effects of Surgery With Salvage Stereotactic Radiosurgery Versus Surgery With Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy in Patients With One to Four Brain Metastases (JCOG0504): A Phase III, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose Whereas whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has been the standard treatment of brain metastases (BMs), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is increasingly preferred to avoid cognitive dysfunction; however, it has not been clearly determined whether treatment with SRS is as effective as that with WBRT or WBRT plus SRS. We thus assessed the noninferiority of salvage SRS to WBRT in patients with BMs. Patients and Methods Patients age 20 to 79 years old with performance status scores of 0 to 2-and 3 if caused only by neurologic deficits-and with four or fewer surgically resected BMs with only one lesion > 3 cm in diameter were eligible.

Employment status and termination among survivors of pediatric brain tumors: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Some childhood cancer survivors experience employment difficulties. This study aimed to describe pediatric brain-tumor survivors' employment status.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted, with questionnaires distributed to 101 pediatric brain-tumor survivors (aged 15 years or older) and their attending physicians from nine institutions in Japan.

JCOG0911 INTEGRA study: a randomized screening phase II trial of interferonβ plus temozolomide in comparison with temozolomide alone for newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Purpose: This study explored the superiority of temozolomide (TMZ) + interferonβ (IFNβ) to standard TMZ as treatment for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) via randomized phase II screening design.

Experimental Design: Eligibility criteria included histologically proven GBM, with 50% of the tumor located in supratentorial areas, without involvement of the optic, olfactory nerves, and pituitary gland and without multiple lesions and dissemination. Patients in the TMZ + radiotherapy (RT) arm received RT (2.

Primary spinal cord astroblastoma: case report.

Astroblastoma is a rare tumor that is thought to occur exclusively in the cerebrum. To the authors' knowledge, no cases of spinal cord astroblastoma have been reported. A 20-year-old woman presented with numbness in her legs.

A Case of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis with a 16-Year Time Interval without Evidence of Cancer Recurrence.

The median time of brain metastasis from the diagnosis of breast cancer is approximately 3 years. In this case report, a 69-year-old woman demonstrated cerebellar ataxia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed enhanced lesions in bilateral cerebellar hemispheres.

Glioblastoma multiforme versus pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with anaplastic features in the pathological diagnosis: a case report.

Background: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) with anaplastic features should be strictly distinguished from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Case Presentation: A case of PXA that was initially diagnosed as GBM is presented. A 42-year-old man visited our clinic because of right hemiparesis and total aphasia.

Working Conditions and Lifestyle of Female Surgeons Affiliated to the Japan Neurosurgical Society: Findings of Individual and Institutional Surveys.

To investigate the working conditions of female neurosurgeons in Japan, two surveys were conducted by The Japan Neurosurgical Society: one involving female neurosurgeons themselves and the other involving the chiefs of neurosurgical departments. The responses were received from 224 (43.8%) female neurosurgeons and 496 (61.

Recurrent neomorphic mutations of MTOR in central nervous system and testicular germ cell tumors may be targeted for therapy.

Germ cell tumors constitute a heterogeneous group that displays a broad spectrum of morphology. They often arise in testes; however, extragonadal occurrence, in particular brain, is not uncommon, and whether they share a common pathogenesis is unknown. We performed whole exome sequencing in 41 pairs of central nervous system germ cell tumors (CNS GCTs) of various histology and their matched normal tissues.

Tree Based Method for Aggregate Survival Data Modeling.

In many scenarios, a patient in medical research is treated as a statistical unit. However, in some scenarios, we are interested in treating aggregate data as a statistical unit. In such situations, each set of aggregated data is considered to be a concept in a symbolic representation, and each concept has a hyperrectangle or multiple points in the variable space.

Glioblastomas with IDH1/2 mutations have a short clinical history and have a favorable clinical outcome.

Objective: Glioblastomas with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations comprise a biologically distinct subgroup of glioblastomas. We studied isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutant glioblastomas at the clinical, molecular and radiological levels to define their clinical features, including the prognostic value of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 mutations compared with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 wild-type glioblastomas.

Methods: We investigated 128 newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients who were treated at our institute between January 2005 and May 2013.

The necessity of long-term follow-up including spinal examination after successful initial treatment of intracranial germinoma: case reports.

Introduction: Intracranial germinomas seldom recur at spinal space following whole-brain or whole-ventricular (WV) radiotherapy. The majority of the spinal recurrence takes place within 5 years after treatment; therefore, late spinal failure beyond 5 years after successful initial treatment is rare.

Case Presentations: We describe the cases of two patients with intracranial germinoma, who developed spinal recurrence 7 and 9 years after the initial treatment with WV radiotherapy combined with and without chemotherapy, respectively.

Trends and Outcomes in the Treatment of Gliomas Based on Data during 2001–2004 from the Brain Tumor Registry of Japan.

The committee of Brain Tumor Registry of Japan (BTRJ) was founded in 1973 and conducts surveys and analyses of incidence, therapeutic methods, and treatment outcomes of primary and metastatic brain tumors with the cooperation of the Japan Neurosurgical Society members. Newly diagnosed 3,000–4,000 primary brain tumors and 600–1,000 brain metastases patients were enrolled in each year. This report describes the trends and treatment outcomes of gliomas from BTRJ volume 13, including 13,431 patients with primary brain tumors who newly started treatment from 2001 to 2004.

Health-related quality of life in long-term survivors with Grade II gliomas: the contribution of disease recurrence and Karnofsky Performance Status.

Objective: Although the number of long-term survivors of glioma has increased, there has been little research on the health-related quality of life of long-term survivors of Grade II glioma following treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In this study, we aimed to document the health-related quality of life of people diagnosed with Grade II glioma who had survived >10 years with no evidence of disease at the time of the health-related quality of life survey.

Methods: To investigate the health-related quality of life of Grade II glioma survivors without evidence of disease, we surveyed 50 patients 0-20 years after their initial treatments.