Brain Tumors: Primary - Highlights

Highlights

Cell Phones and Brain Tumors

Cell phones and other wireless devices do not cause brain cancer, according to several 2006 studies. The researchers studied how many years people had used mobile phones, and how long they usually talked on the phone, and found no association with gliomas.

Genetic Testing and Treatment

Scientists continue to investigate how genetic testing of tumors can help predict survival and determine treatments.

• Testing for chromosomal deletions in tumors should be a standard diagnostic test, according to a 2006 study in Lancet Oncology. Researchers found that chromosomal deletion status was a better predictor of survival than treatment type.
• Screening gliomas for genetic variation can help predict which tumors will respond to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib (Tarceva) and gefitinib (Iressa), suggests a New England Journal of Medicine study.

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Radiotherapy for Low-Grade Glioma

A “wait and see” approach to radiation therapy is appropriate for patients with low-grade gliomas, indicates a 2005 Lancet study. Researchers found that radiotherapy immediately after surgery extended the time it took for cancer to progress, but did not affect overall survival. The researchers suggest that patients with low-grade gliomas who are in good condition can delay radiation therapy as long as they are carefully monitored.

Medulloblastoma Treatment

A new approach to radiotherapy and chemotherapy may help double the chances for 5-year survival in children with high-risk medulloblastoma, suggests research in Lancet Oncology. In the study, children with high-risk brain tumors received a higher dose of radiotherapy to the neck and spine than children with standard-risk cancer, and a shortened course of chemotherapy.

Brain Tumors in Children

According to a 2006 study, children with brain tumors exhibit the following symptoms:

• Headache (56%)
• Vomiting (51%)
• Educational or behavioral problems (44%)
• Unsteadiness (40%)
• Visual difficulties (38%)

Review Date: 10/19/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.