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Technological Advances in Surgery, Trauma and Critical Care pp 231–246Cite as

Brain Cancer: The New Frontiers

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Abstract

Neuro-oncology is a rapidly evolving, multidisciplinary field that has seen numerous exciting advances in recent years. This chapter provides background in the epidemiology and classification of brain metastasis, meningioma, and other primary brain tumors. Histopathologic and molecular classification of gliomas is reviewed. New technologies are improving the diagnostic capabilities of cerebrospinal fluid analysis including proteomics and micro-RNA analysis. Circulating tumor cell chips detect tumor cells in serum and cerebrospinal fluid with better sensitivity than conventional cytologic or cytometric analysis. The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) workgroup have recently provided radiographic criteria that address progression of both enhancing and nonenhancing tumor, as well as the issue of pseudoprogression following radiation therapy. Intraoperative imaging and tumor markers have the potential to facilitate more extensive tumor resection. Angiogenesis inhibition is one of the main recent advances in malignant glioma therapeutics including the FDA approval of bevacizumab for recurrent high-grade glioma. Immunology-based therapies, viral vectors, and alternating electrical field technologies are actively being studied. These avenues of discovery and technological advancement hold promise to increase treatment options and ultimately improve clinical outcomes in this historically challenging group of diseases.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Brian J. Scott M.D.

  2. Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA

    Brian J. Scott M.D.

  3. Department of Neurosciences, UC San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Santosh Kesari M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Brian J. Scott M.D.
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  2. Santosh Kesari M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Santosh Kesari M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Rifat Latifi

  2. Department of Surgery, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Peter Rhee

  3. Department of Surgery, Professor of Surgery, Tucson, Arizona, USA

    Rainer W.G. Gruessner

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Scott, B.J., Kesari, S. (2015). Brain Cancer: The New Frontiers. In: Latifi, R., Rhee, P., Gruessner, R. (eds) Technological Advances in Surgery, Trauma and Critical Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2671-8_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2671-8_22

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2670-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2671-8

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