Meningioma
Meningioma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Outlook.: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Future Outlook.
Disclaimer:
This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Content is sourced from third parties, and we do not guarantee accuracy or accept any liability for its use. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical guidance.
What is Meningioma?
Meningioma is a tumor arising from meninges (brain/spinal cord membranes), the most common primary brain tumor (36% of cases). Mostly benign (grade I, 80-90%), but atypical (grade II, 15%) or malignant (grade III, 2-3%). In 2025, ~30,000 US cases annually, median age 65, women 2:1 due to hormones.
Symptoms
Symptoms depend on location/size: headaches, seizures, vision/hearing changes, weakness, personality alterations, or cranial nerve deficits. Spinal meningiomas cause pain, numbness, or paralysis. Many (50%) are asymptomatic, found incidentally.
Causes
Causes include radiation, neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2 gene), hormonal factors (progesterone/estrogen receptors in 70%), and obesity. In 2025, mutations (NF2, AKT1) drive growth.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis uses MRI/CT showing dural-based mass, biopsy for grade, and molecular testing (NF2, TERT). In 2025, AI imaging predicts grade.
Treatment
Observation for small/asymptomatic, surgery for symptomatic, radiation (stereotactic) for unresectable. Targeted therapies (everolimus for NF2) in trials. In 2025, immunotherapy explores PD-1 inhibitors.
Future Outlook
In 2025, 5-year survival is 92% for benign, 78% atypical, 47% malignant. Molecular therapies reduce recurrence. By 2030, targeted drugs could achieve 95% for benign.
Sources
Mayo Clinic’s “Meningioma – Symptoms and causes” for symptoms; Cleveland Clinic’s “Meningioma: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment” for treatment; NCI’s “Adult Central Nervous System Tumors Treatment” for prognosis; PMC’s “Meningioma: A Comprehensive Review” for review; OncoDaily’s “Meningioma: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment” for details; Brain Tumor Charity’s “Meningioma” for outlook; Johns Hopkins’s “Meningioma | Johns Hopkins Medicine” for care; Cancer Research UK’s “Meningioma” for research; American Brain Tumor Association’s “Meningioma” for subtypes; Healthline’s “Meningioma: Types, Symptoms, Treatment, and More” for overview.