Central nervous system tumors

Abstract

Increasing incidence rates of CNS tumors probably result from use of new neuroimaging techniques. Established risk factors include exposure to ionizing radiation, rare mutations of penetrant genes, and familial history of CNS tumors, but these factors explain only a small proportion of tumors. Ongoing research focuses on identifying genetic polymorphisms that, in conjunction with environmental carcinogens, increase tumor risk, investigating the inverse association between allergic conditions and glioma, and validating the relationship between cellular telephone use and acoustic neuroma. Although chemotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme and oligodendroglioma improves survival time for some patients, survival time has remained relatively constant over the past 25 years. © 2007 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.