An Overview Of Meningiomas And How They Are Treated

There are many conditions for which people seek private radiotherapy, but tumours are among the most serious. However, the degree of severity and the symptoms they produce can depend on a wide range of factors.

Among these are, chiefly, whether they are benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), but other factors will include the location of origin, which may indicate a more or less aggressive tumour and determine what kind of surgical or radiotherapy options offer the best potential outcomes for patients.

Meningiomas Defined

Among the many different kinds of tumours are meningiomas. These arise in membranes called the meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord. It is in these membranes that the viral infection meningitis is found. However, meningiomas are not connected to meningitis; they simply affect the same area.

Because they are adjacent to the brain but not actually in it, they are not classified as brain tumours. However, meningiomas share with brain tumours the effect of frequently pressing on the brain, nerves or vessels, which can cause a wide range of significant symptoms that require medical intervention to address.

Meningiomas are the most common form of tumour found in the head, accounting for over a quarter of cases, and they are often asymptomatic for many years, partly because they are not aggressive and seldom malignant but grow slowly. They can occur at any age and in both sexes, but the demographic balance tilts towards women and older patients.

Common Symptoms

However, over time, a meningioma can grow to the point where it starts producing symptoms. Although they can occasionally pressure the spine, most will affect the brain and some common symptoms can include impaired sensory functions, such as a loss of hearing, tinnitus symptoms, reduced sense of smell, or blurred vision.

Other common symptoms include a loss of memory, impaired speech, arm or leg weakness or bad headaches, especially in the morning.

Many of these are symptoms that may be associated with entirely different conditions; for instance, tinnitus can have several possible causes. However, the best course of action is always to see a GP and undergo tests to establish the nature of the problem. This will not usually be an emergency case, except if seizures or sudden memory loss are present.

Diagnosis And Classification

Diagnosis is established through CT or MRI scans. The latter can also determine what grade of meningioma it is. In many cases, because they are often asymptomatic, meningiomas are diagnosed during scans carried out for other reasons.

Grade 1 meningiomas are the most common, benign and slow growing, while grade 2 tumours have a far greater chance of returning after surgery. Grade 3 tumours – anaplastic meningiomas – are the most serious, as they are malignant and fast-growing. However, while meningiomas are the most common head tumour, grade 3 meningiomas are very rare.

Treatment Options

These grades will determine the treatment. Asymptomatic tumours may be kept under observation unless or until any symptoms emerge.

If the tumour does need treating, surgery is commonly used, but radiotherapy can sometimes be deployed as the primary treatment. Adjuvant radiation can often be given to supplement other treatment for grade 1 and 2 lesions. If a Grade 3 tumour is present, radiotherapy will be provided as standard.

Surgery itself can impact the pathological diagnosis, which means it will reveal data that can be used to determine what level of radiotherapy treatment might be needed in addition to any already given.

In a grade 1 tumour, it may be that you don’t need future treatment and this may also be the case with a grade 2 tumour, although in either case, further monitoring will be required to check for future recurrences. The chances of a recurrence are more than twice as high in a grade 2 case compared to grade 1.

Recurrence Rates

A study in the US carried out between 2009 and 2013 indicated that the rate of recurrence within five years was between seven and 23 per cent for grade 1 tumours, between 50 and 55 per cent for grade 2 and 72-78 per cent for grade 3.

There are different reasons for recurrence, with tumours that cannot be fully removed surgically being more likely to recur. If they are fully removed, the average chances of recurrence are between one in three and one in four. Other causes can include genetic mutations.

If you come for private treatment after a diagnosis, our expert team will help guide you through the treatment options and procedures. Because the overwhelming majority of meningiomas are benign, the aim will be to reduce the size of the tumour through radiotherapy, surgery or a combination of both to relieve symptoms.