Aim for normal weight! Obesity is a risk factor for meningioma.Determine BMI (body mass index) or body composition using electrical impedance analysis and, if necessary, participate in a medically supervised weight loss program.
BMI ≥ 25 → participation in a medically supervised weight loss program.
Chemotherapy
May be indicated (indicated) in each case depending on histology (fine tissue examination) in combination with radiotherapy. In deviation from this, some cases are treated as follows:
In children with medulloblastoma (malignant embryonal tumor of the cerebellum), chemotherapy is given after surgery until 4 years of age. This is done because radiation exposure would be too great for the child’s brain.
In lymphoma (tumor of the lymphatic tissue), chemotherapy is used. However, this is done only in individual cases, depending on the response of radiotherapy to achieve a more effective effect.
Tumor Treatment Fields (TTF)
In this procedure, patients receive a hood with large-area ceramic gel pads placed on the skull. These are connected to a stimulator that generates a low-intensity (1-3 V/cm) alternating electric field (100-300 kHz). The hood is therefore also called an “alternating current hood”. The alternating electric field causes disruption of dividing cells in meta-, ana- and telophase (cytostatic drugs mostly attack the prophase of mitosis). Nerves and muscles are not irritated. The skull must be shaved every three days to keep AC resistance low. Patients should wear the hood day and night if possible; at least 18 hours daily.Indications: Glioblastoma multiforme and recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had first approved the procedure for tumor recurrence. In this case, TTF therapy was equivalent to the therapy of usual chemotherapy, but showed fewer side effects. In the meantime, the indication has been expanded. Thus, initial glioblastoma multiforme can also be treated in combination with temozolomide (belongs to the alkylant group). Patients with TTF survived a median of 7.2 months progression-free in the intent-to-treat analysis, compared with only 4.0 months with standard therapy alone.
