Neuro-oncology Top 10
- Do lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep, stress, diet) influence tumour growth in people with a brain or spinal cord tumour?
- What is the effect on prognosis of interval scanning to detect tumour recurrence, compared with scanning on symptomatic recurrence, in people with a brain tumour?
- Does earlier diagnosis improve outcomes, compared to standard diagnosis times, in people with a brain or spinal cord tumour?
- In second recurrence glioblastoma, what is the effect of further treatment on survival and quality of life, compared with best supportive care?
- Does earlier referral to specialist palliative care services at diagnosis improve quality of life and survival in people with a brain or spinal cord tumours?
- Do molecular subtyping techniques improve treatment selection, prediction and prognostication in people with a brain or spinal cord tumour?
- What are the long-term physical and cognitive effects of surgery and/or radiotherapy when treating people with a brain or spinal cord tumour?
- What is the effect of interventions to help carers cope with changes that occur in people with a brain or spinal cord tumour, compared with standard care?
- What is the effect of additional strategies for managing fatigue, compared with standard care, in people with a brain or spinal cord tumour?
- What is the effect of extent of resection on survival in people with a suspected glioma of the brain or spinal cord?
The remaining questions discussed at the workshop were (in no order of priority):
- In brain tumour patients, what is the effect of short-course steroid use, compared with continuous steroid use, on managing symptoms?
- In patients with a brain tumour, what is the effect of early surgical intervention on prognosis, compared with standard guidelines for surgery?
- For people with low grade gliomas (LGG) at risk of malignant transformation to high grade gliomas (HGG), what is the optimal MRI monitoring protocol?
- In brain tumour patients, what is the effect of cognitive interventions (including memory training) on improving memory after radiotherapy, compared with standard care?
- In patients with a low grade or a high grade glioma, what is the effect of extent of resection on neuropsychological function, compared with no resection/biopsy?
- Does chromosomal analysis of low grade gliomas improve prediction of transformation to a higher grade?
- In malignant brain tumour patients, how effective are complementary and alternative medicines, which include supplements and herbal remedies, compared to standard treatment alone, for extending and improving quality of life?
- In patients with low grade glioma, can the use of circulatory biomarkers predict an early malignant transformation process?
- In patients with brain and spinal cord tumours, what is the effect of psychological interventions on coping with living with a brain tumour, compared with standard care?
- In elderly patients with a high grade glioma, what is the most effective treatment? For example, 30Gy dose in 6 fractions for 2 weeks with concurrent Temozolomide vs Temozolomide vs Radiotherapy alone?
- In imaging-diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme patients, where the benefits of biopsy are uncertain, does biopsy improve survival, compared to no biopsy?
- In patients with a brain or spinal cord tumour, how effective is additional clinical nurse specialist support, compared to standard care, in improving quality of life?
- In patients with brain or spinal cord tumour, how effective are interventions that provide structured emotional support during diagnosis and primary treatment in reducing psychological distress, compared to care as usual?
- In brain or spinal cord tumour patients, what is the effect of management of depression on outcome, compared with standard care?
- In patients with brain tumours, what is the effect of adopting a healthy diet on progression-free survival?