Meningioma: Latest Research

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 12/2023

ON THIS PAGE: You will read about the scientific research being done to learn more about meningioma and how to treat it. Use the menu to see other pages.

Doctors are working to learn more about meningioma, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your doctor about the best diagnostic and treatment options for you.

  • Molecular drivers. Recent research has suggested that abnormalities, or mutations, in multiple genes may drive the formation of meningiomas. These genes include NF2, TRAF7, KLF4, AKT1, and SMO. There is ongoing research on how to target these genes for the treatment of meningiomas. Recent research has also identified other abnormalities, including mutations in the TERT gene and deletions involving the CDKN2A/B gene, as indicators of meningioma that may become aggressive. Researchers continue to study how to more accurately categorize meningioma into specific groups based on prognosis.

  • Hormonal drugs. Research has shown a possible link between meningioma and the body's hormone levels. Learn more about the basics of hormone therapy.

  • New treatments.Other new treatments that target the proteins that a tumor uses to grow are being studied in clinical trials. These types of treatments include the following:

    • Immunotherapy uses the body's natural defenses to fight a tumor by improving your immune system’s ability to attack tumor cells. Learn more about the basics of immunotherapy.

    • Drugs affecting other functions inside of tumor cells, including those that help tumor cells divide. Some of these are directed to specific pathways that may be unique or abnormally regulated compared with healthy cells. These types of treatments are called targeted therapy. Several studies for meningioma are examining this treatment approach.

    • Anti-angiogenesis therapy focuses on stopping angiogenesis, which is the process of making new blood vessels. Because a tumor needs the nutrients delivered by blood vessels to grow and spread, the goal of anti-angiogenesis therapies is to starve the tumor. Anti-angiogenesis therapy is a type of targeted therapy.

    • Gene therapy seeks to correct faulty genes that are causing tumor growth.

    • Directing electric fields through a portable device called the NovoTTF-100A (Optune) for cancerous meningioma.

  • Palliative and supportive care. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current meningioma treatments to improve comfort and quality of life for patients.

Looking for More About the Latest Research?

If you would like more information about the latest areas of research in brain tumors, explore these related items that take you outside of this guide:

The next section in this guide is Coping with Treatment. It offers some guidance on how to cope with the physical, emotional, social, and financial changes that meningioma and its treatment can bring. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.