Molecular landscape and clinical correlates of olfactory groove meningiomas: a multi-institutional study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the clinical and radiological characteristics of olfactory groove meningiomas (OGMs) and their molecular profiles.

Methods: The authors performed targeted next-generation and whole-genome sequencing in 123 OGM samples collected from 4 international institutions, focusing on known meningioma-driver genes. They compared the molecular data with the clinical and radiographic features of the tumors.

Screening for brain metastases in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and an actionable genomic alteration: A structured literature review.

Background: Brain metastases (BM) frequently occur in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with actionable genomic alterations (AGA). Targeted therapies (TTs) improve outcomes, but differences in BM screening and eligibility criteria across trials make comparisons challenging. While stage IV NSCLC guidelines recommend BM screening, it is not mandatory, and imaging techniques vary.

Mesothelin is a surface antigen present on human meningioma and can be effectively targeted by CAR T-cells.

Background: Meningioma is the most common primary CNS tumor, with high-grade cases exhibiting aggressive behavior, frequent recurrence, and poor prognosis. Currently, no systemic therapies are approved for recurrent or malignant meningiomas. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown efficacy in hematologic malignancies and promise for solid tumors but its use for meningiomas has been underexplored.

RANO criteria for response assessment of brain metastases based on amino acid PET imaging.

Novel diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities are needed to improve medical care and outcome of patients with brain metastases, a frequent and severe complication of several cancer types. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary method used for detection, treatment planning and disease monitoring in patients with brain metastases, but this method has limitations. These limitations mean that MRI can inform on lesion size but cannot directly measure the activity or viability of tumor tissue.

Combination therapy of adagrasib and abemaciclib in non-small cell lung cancer brain metastasis models genomically characterized by KRAS-G12C and homozygous loss of CDKN2A.

KRAS mutations are prevalent in brain metastases (BM) from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The activity of KRAS-G12C selective, brain-penetrant small molecule inhibitor adagrasib was recently demonstrated in preclinical models of BM and patients with BM carrying KRAS-G12C, leading to a clinical trial investigating this therapeutic approach. However, co-existing genomic drivers such as homozygous deletion of CDKN2A/B may impact the utility of adagrasib.

Collision tumor, a metastatic melanoma within a meningioma: a case report.

Background: Collision tumors, involving two distinct neoplasms in a single anatomical site, are rare. Among these, the metastasis of melanoma into an intracranial meningioma is particularly uncommon, with only four previously reported cases. Melanoma, known for its aggressive metastatic potential, contrasts sharply with the small number of collision tumor reports.

Targeted treatment for craniopharyngioma.

Introduction: Craniopharyngioma is a rare solid-cystic tumor of the hypothalamopituitary region. Two distinct craniopharyngioma types (formerly subtypes), adamantinomatous and papillary, have been described. These tumors often manifest with neuroendocrine dysfunction, vision problems, hydrocephalus, and cognitive changes.

Molecular Testing for the World Health Organization Classification of Central Nervous System Tumors: A Review.

Importance: Molecular techniques, including next-generation sequencing, genomic copy number profiling, fusion transcript detection, and genomic DNA methylation arrays, are now indispensable tools for the workup of central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Yet there remains a great deal of heterogeneity in using such biomarker testing across institutions and hospital systems. This is in large part because there is a persistent reluctance among third-party payers to cover molecular testing.

Real-world outcomes in patients with brain metastases secondary to HR+/HER2- MBC treated with abemaciclib and local intracranial therapy.

Background: Real-world data are limited for patients with brain metastases secondary to metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and treated with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i). This study describes real-world outcomes in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) MBC with brain metastases diagnosis before abemaciclib initiation.

Patients And Methods: A nationwide electronic health record-derived de-identified MBC database (January 2011-December 2021) was assessed retrospectively.

Central nervous system metastases in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A review of the therapeutic landscape.

Up to 40% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop central nervous system (CNS) metastases. Current treatments for this subgroup of patients with advanced NSCLC include local therapies (surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and, less frequently, whole-brain radiotherapy), targeted therapies for oncogene-addicted NSCLC (small molecules, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates), and immune checkpoint inhibitors (as monotherapy or combination therapy), with multiple new drugs in development. However, confirming the intracranial activity of these treatments has proven to be challenging, given that most lung cancer clinical trials exclude patients with untreated and/or progressing CNS metastases, or do not include prespecified CNS-related endpoints.

Leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors: A Society for Neuro-Oncology and American Society of Clinical Oncology consensus review on clinical management and future directions.

Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are increasingly becoming recognized as a treatable, yet generally incurable, complication of advanced cancer. As modern cancer therapeutics have prolonged the lives of patients with metastatic cancer, specifically in patients with parenchymal brain metastases, treatment options, and clinical research protocols for patients with LM from solid tumors have similarly evolved to improve survival within specific populations. Recent expansions in clinical investigation, early diagnosis, and drug development have given rise to new unanswered questions.

Rapid tumor DNA analysis of cerebrospinal fluid accelerates treatment of central nervous system lymphoma.

Delays and risks associated with neurosurgical biopsies preclude timely diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma and other CNS neoplasms. We prospectively integrated targeted rapid genotyping of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the evaluation of 70 patients with CNS lesions of unknown cause. Participants underwent genotyping of CSF-derived DNA using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based approach for parallel detection of single-nucleotide variants in the MYD88, TERT promoter, IDH1, IDH2, BRAF, and H3F3A genes within 80 minutes of sample acquisition.

NAB2::STAT6 fusions and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling: Predictors of patient outcomes in meningeal solitary fibrous tumors.

Meningeal solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) are rare and have a high frequency of local recurrence and distant metastasis. In a cohort of 126 patients (57 female, 69 male; mean age at surgery 53.0 years) with pathologically confirmed meningeal SFTs with extended clinical follow-up (median 9.

Integrating Systemic Therapies into the Multimodality Therapy of Patients with Craniopharyngioma.

The integration of targeted therapy into the multimodal management of craniopharyngiomas represents a significant advancement in the field of neuro-oncology. Historically, the management of these tumors has been challenging due to their proximity to vital brain structures, necessitating a delicate balance between tumor control and the preservation of neurological function. Traditional treatment modalities, such as surgical resection and radiation, while effective, carry their own set of risks, including potential damage to surrounding healthy tissues and the potential for long-term side effects.

The ERK inhibitor LY3214996 augments anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in preclinical mouse models of BRAFV600E melanoma brain metastasis.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized cancer treatment; however, only a subset of patients with brain metastasis (BM) respond to ICI. Activating mutations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway are frequent in BM. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether therapeutic inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) can improve the efficacy of ICI for BM.