Brain Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Brain Cancer, including details on symptoms, benign and malignant tumors, gliomas, treatment.

Technical considerations for noncoplanar proton-beam therapy of patients with tumors proximal to the optic nerve.

Mizumoto M, Nakayama H, Tokita M, Sugahara S, Hashii H, Sakae T, Tsuboi K, Sakurai H, Tokuuye K

Proton Medical Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. mizumoto1717@hotmail.com

PURPOSE: To investigate technical feasibilities of noncoplanar proton-beam therapy (PBT) on dose reduction to critical organs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The degree of mechanical precision, rotational limitations of the gantry and the treatment couch were evaluated, and dose-volume histograms were compared for noncoplanar and coplanar PBT. Following these studies, three patients with tumors proximal to the optic nerve underwent noncoplanar PBT. RESULTS: Noncoplanar PBT offered advantage in dose reduction to the optic nerve when compared to coplanar therapy. This advantage was more significant if the tumor reduced in size during treatment. None experienced radiation injury to the optic nerve during a short follow-up time of 7-12 months. CONCLUSION: Noncoplanar PBT appears to reduce doses to organs at risk.

Published 18 January 2010 in Strahlenther Onkol, 186(1): 36-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Brain Cancer published 8 January 2010:

Use of video to facilitate end-of-life discussions with patients with cancer: a randomized controlled trial.   J Clin Oncol, 28(2): 305-10.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the use of a goals-of-care video to supplement a verbal description can improve end-of-life decision making for patients with cancer. METHODS: Fifty participants with malignant glioma were randomly assigned to either a verbal narrative of goals-of-care options at the end of life (control), or a video after the same verbal narrative (intervention) in this randomized controlled trial. The video depicts three levels of medical care: life-prolonging care ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Real-time imaging reveals the single steps of brain metastasis formation.   Nat Med, 16(1): 116-22.

Brain metastasis frequently occurs in individuals with cancer and is often fatal. We used multiphoton laser scanning microscopy to image the single steps of metastasis formation in real time. Thus, it was possible to track the fate of individual metastasizing cancer cells in vivo in relation to blood vessels deep in the mouse brain over minutes to months. The essential steps in this model were arrest at vascular branch points, early extravasation, persistent close contacts to microvessels and ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Evolution of an aggressive prolactinoma into a growth hormone secreting pituitary tumor coincident with GNAS gene mutation.   J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 95(1): 13-7.

CONTEXT: Mixed PRL- and GH-secreting pituitary adenomas are relatively common because somatotrophs and lactotrophs share the common somato-mammotroph progenitor lineage. Conversely, the occurrence of a prolactinoma evolving into clinically and biochemically active acromegaly is a rare phenomenon. OBJECTIVE AND RESULTS: We report a patient with a prolactinoma who after 15 yr of disease control by bromocriptine became resistant to dopaminergic drugs and due to the rapid tumor growth was submitted ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes but not serum pituitary antibodies are associated with poor clinical outcome after surgery in patients with pituitary adenoma.   J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 95(1): 289-96.

CONTEXT: Serum pituitary antibodies (Pit Abs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been described in pituitary adenomas, but their clinical significance remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess Pit Abs and TILs prevalence in pituitary adenomas and their influence on clinical outcome. DESIGN: This was a prevalence case-control study. PATIENTS AND SETTING: Two hundred ninety-one pituitary adenoma cases (110 non-secreting, 30 ACTH-69 GH-71 prolactin- and 13 ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Brain Cancer published 6 January 2010:

Combinations of genetic mutations in the adult neural stem cell compartment determine brain tumour phenotypes.   EMBO J, 29(1): 222-35.

It has been suggested that intrinsic brain tumours originate from a neural stem/progenitor cell population in the subventricular zone of the post-natal brain. However, the influence of the initial genetic mutation on the phenotype as well as the contribution of mature astrocytes to the formation of brain tumours is still not understood. We deleted Rb/p53, Rb/p53/PTEN or PTEN/p53 in adult subventricular stem cells; in ectopically neurografted stem cells; in mature parenchymal astrocytes and in ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Brain Cancer published 5 January 2010:

Receptor channel TRPC6 is a key mediator of Notch-driven glioblastoma growth and invasiveness.   Cancer Res, 70(1): 418-27.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent and incurable type of brain tumor of adults. Hypoxia has been shown to direct GBM toward a more aggressive and malignant state. Here we show that hypoxia increases Notch1 activation, which in turn induces the expression of transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) in primary samples and cell lines derived from GBM. TRPC6 is required for the development of the aggressive phenotype because knockdown of TRPC6 expression inhibits glioma growth, ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

OTX2 is critical for the maintenance and progression of Shh-independent medulloblastomas.   Cancer Res, 70(1): 181-91.

OTX2 is a developmentally regulated transcription factor involved in early morphogenesis of the central nervous system. This gene is amplified and overexpressed in medulloblastoma cell lines, but the nature and extent of its genetic alterations in primary tumors have not been evaluated. Analysis of a large cohort of primary medulloblastomas revealed frequent focal copy number gain of a region minimally containing OTX2 as a single gene. OTX2 copy number gain was restricted to tumor subtypes that ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Small-molecule inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling inhibit Wnt/beta-catenin pathway cross-talk and suppress medulloblastoma growth.   Cancer Res, 70(1): 266-76.

Activation of the beta-catenin and receptor kinase pathways occurs often in medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor. In this study, we show that molecular cross-talk between the beta-catenin and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways is crucial to sustain medulloblastoma pathophysiology. Constitutive activation of phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) was detected by ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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