This book aims to gather the current knowledge regarding different aspects of brain and spinal cord tumors in order to more efficiently help the patients. Brain tumors comprise about 5-9% of all human neoplasms; and interestingly, the central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms are ranked among the most prevalent neoplasms of childhood as well. Mostly affecting young adults in the third to fourth decades of life, these neoplasms may result in life-long disabilities, as a result of irreversible damage to the central nervous system and also as the CNS is not capable of sufficient regeneration in response to injuries and pathologic states. While the prevalence of gliomas comes the second after meningioma in general, they are the most prevalent malignant CNS tumors comprising over 46% of all malignant brain tumors. As well as other human neoplasms, the tumors of CNS, brain and spine, are classified according to their histopathologic characteristics, with each stage more affecting a specific age group and has its own survival outcome.
Generally, when the tumorigenesis mechanisms defeat the immunologic defense, a neoplasm will be the result, which could be then detected by different imaging modalities. Accordingly, each pathology may have specific imaging characteristics as well, which could lead the physician to primary diagnosis before surgery or histopathologic confirmation. Most importantly, the more we know about the nature and characteristic of brain and spinal cord tumors, the more precise decision could be made for each patient, in order to reach the best outcome. While surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have been considered as the standards of care for benign and/or malignant CNS tumors since a long time ago, new therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy have been recently proposed to be considered for treatment of CNS tumors, especially as in some cases, the tumors might be inoperable or the patient may not benefit from other treatment modalities after several recurrences.
The second volume of the book focuses on clinical aspects of these tumors. Accordingly, the most important brain and spinal cord tumors are specifically discussed in each chapter based on a rational outlining for all chapter in this volume: Background and epidemiology, genetics, immunology and molecular biology, histopathology and morphology, imaging and radiologic features, clinical manifestations, therapeutic approaches, surgical intervention, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, new therapeutic modalities, follow-up, and prognosis. The chapters of this volume discuss the following pathologies of brain and spinal cord tumors: malignant glioma, benign glioma, meningiomas and other meningeal tumors, ependymomas, medulloblastomas, pineal tumors, choroid plexus and ventricular tumors, neuroectodermal tumors of CNS, neuroepithelial tumors of CNS, pituitary gland tumors, craniopharyngioma, schwannomas and nerve-sheet tumors, hemangioblastomas and other vascular originating tumors, brain and spinal tumors of embryonic origin, germ line cell tumors, malignant bone or cartilage-originating tumors of brain and spine, benign bone or cartilage-originating tumors of brain and spine, brain tumors affecting the orbit globe and orbit tumors affecting the brain, CNS lymphomas, metastatic lesions of the brain and spine, malignant spinal tumors, benign spinal tumors, brain and/or spinal cord tumors accompanied with other diseases or syndromes, psychological and psychiatric aspects of brain and spinal cord tumors, a brief explanation on surgical approaches for treatment of different brain tumors. This volume of book is useful for physicians of different specialties, mainly neurosurgeons, neurologists, neuropathologists, and neuroradiologists.
