Meningioma
Learn more about meningioma tumors and your treatment options.
Meningioma
Learn more about meningioma tumors and your treatment options.
Key points about meningiomas
- Meningiomas are tumors that grow in the meninges (tissue covering your brain and spinal cord).
- Most meningiomas are benign (noncancerous).
- Meningiomas can cause symptoms if they press up against certain parts of your brain or spinal cord.
- Most meningiomas are treatable. Some small or slow-growing meningiomas never need treatment.
What is a meningioma?
A meningioma is the most common type of brain tumor. It grows in the meninges, or the three layers of tissue that surround your brain and spinal cord.
Even though most meningiomas aren’t cancerous, they can still cause serious symptoms and complications. If a meningioma grows large enough, it can push against (and damage) important areas in your brain or spinal cord.
Do you have a meningioma?
Meningioma causes
In many cases, no clear reason causes someone to develop a meningioma. Certain factors may increase your risk.
- You’re over 65.
- You’re female. Because women are more likely than men to develop benign meningiomas, scientists think these tumors may be linked to female hormone fluctuations.
- You have an abnormal chromosome (genetic material found inside your cells). Studies show that many people with meningiomas have an abnormality in chromosome 22, which normally helps prevent tumor growth.
- You have an inherited condition, such as neurofibromatosis (NF), that can cause meningiomas and other tumors.
- You’ve had head or brain radiation treatment.
Meningioma symptoms
It’s possible to have a meningioma and not know it. You may not have symptoms until your tumor grows large enough to interfere with brain function.
Meningioma symptoms vary depending on the tumor’s location and the type of brain tissue it damages.
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Hearing loss
- Memory problems
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Nausea or vomiting
- Personality changes
- Seizures
- Vision changes, such as blurriness or vision loss
How are meningiomas diagnosed?
Your provider will order one or more tests to confirm whether you have a meningioma or something else.
- Brain MRI. An MRI scan uses magnetic energy instead of radiation to take pictures of your brain. These pictures can show whether you have a meningioma and its location. You may receive a contrast agent (liquid dye) to help improve the image quality.
- CT scan. A CT scan uses X-rays to take detailed pictures of your brain. These pictures can also show a meningioma tumor’s size and location. You may receive a contrast agent before your scan.
- Biopsy. Your provider may remove a small piece of tumor tissue for examination under a microscope. This test helps confirm whether your tumor is cancerous or noncancerous.
Meningioma treatment
If you have a meningioma, you and your provider will decide whether to treat you right away or keep an eye on it. Together, you will base this decision on several factors.
- The meningioma’s size and location
- Whether the meningioma is cancerous
- Whether you have symptoms
- Whether you’ve had previous treatment for a meningioma
- Your overall health
If you need treatment, your care plan will include options to shrink or remove your tumor. You may need surgery, radiation therapy, medicine or a combination of these.
- Radiation therapy: There are different ways to treat meningiomas with radiation. For example, a treatment called Gamma Knife® uses a machine to send many high-dose beams of radiation to your tumor at once.
- Surgery: In most cases, meningiomas can be treated with surgery alone. During surgery, neurosurgeons strive to remove most or all of your tumor, depending on its location and whether it’s connected to vital brain tissue. If necessary, radiation therapy can help destroy any remaining tumor tissue left after surgery.
- Chemotherapy: If your meningioma is cancerous, you may need chemotherapy in addition to radiation and surgery. Targeted therapy is a proven approach to decrease the likelihood that your meningioma will come back
If you’re scheduled to have meningioma surgery, you may first have a minimally invasive procedure called embolization.
During the procedure, we’ll perform an angiogram (an imaging exam that combines X-rays and a contrast agent) to see the blood vessels inside your brain. When we find the blood vessels that supply blood to your tumor, we’ll “embolize” them (seal them shut).
This helps reduce bleeding during meningioma surgery, making it easier for the surgeon to see your tumor — and potentially reducing the length of your operation.
Getting care for a meningioma tumor at UW Medicine
When you choose UW Medicine for meningioma care, you’ll have a team of specialists dedicated to your treatment and recovery. These specialists work together — and with you — to ensure you receive the safest, most effective care possible.
Our team also has experience treating all types of meningiomas, including cancerous tumors or those returning after previous treatment.
Should you need cancer care, you can take comfort in knowing you’ll work with experts from the renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Not only do UW Medicine and Fred Hutch physicians jointly offer the most advanced cancer treatments available, but they’re also leading efforts to develop new and improved therapies.
For example, Fred Hutch has clinical trials for promising medicines that treat aggressive, cancerous meningiomas. As our patient, you have access to these trials — meaning you may have the opportunity to try a groundbreaking new drug before it’s widely available.
If you have a meningioma and want a second opinion about your treatment options, schedule an appointment with one of our specialists today.