Meningioma: Latest Research

Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 12/2021

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.

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

  • New treatments. 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 boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight the tumor. It uses materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to improve, target, or restore immune system function. 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 care/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.