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Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Send comments and questions to staff@uihealthcare.com |
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Tumors of the Optic Nerve Initiative |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a primary optic nerve tumor? A primary optic nerve tumor is one that arises from the optic nerve itself or its covering (the meninges). The two most primary common optic nerve tumors are optic glioma and optic nerve meningioma. What is a secondary optic nerve tumor? A secondary optic nerve tumor arises from the brain or adjacent structures but compresses the optic nerve and produces symptoms. What are the signs and symptoms of an optic nerve glioma? Optic glioma is typically a tumor of childhood. It may be associated with an inherited disorder known as neurofibromatosis I. The symptoms of optic glioma are usually related to visual loss due to compression of the optic nerve. Bulging of the eye (proptosis), double vision (ocular misalignment), and drooping of the eyelid (ptosis) may also occur. Patients with gliomas that involve the optic nerves and optic pathway in the brain may have hydrocephalus ("water on the brain") or hormonal imbalance. What is the treatment for optic nerve glioma? Optic gliomas may be treated by observation alone, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery. What is an optic nerve sheath meningioma? An optic nerve sheath meningioma is a tumor of the covering of the optic nerve (the meninges). What are the signs and symptoms of an optic nerve sheath meningioma? Optic nerve sheath meningioma is typically a tumor of adulthood and is seen more frequently in middle aged women. The symptoms of optic nerve sheath meningioma are usually related to visual loss due to compression of the optic nerve. Bulging of the eye (proptosis), double vision (ocular misalignment), and drooping of the eyelid (ptosis) may also occur. What is the treatment for optic nerve sheath meningioma? Optic nerve sheath meningiomas may be treated with observation alone, radiation therapy, or surgery. What is the purpose of the Tumors of the Optic Nerve Initiative and the Optic Nerve Center? The goal of the Optic Nerve Center is to provide high quality and cutting edge evaluation and treatment for patients with tumors affecting the optic nerve. The Center hopes to develop and study new and emerging treatments for optic nerve tumors and to serve as a national model for innovative and novel approaches to optic nerve tumors. The Center's purpose is to serve as a focal point and centerpiece of a multidisciplinary approach to these tumors. What can the Optic Nerve Center do for me? A multidisciplinary approach to these tumors enhances patient care. Patients benefit from a coordinated clinical service that is "under one roof". The disciplines that currently participate in the care of these patients include:
What are the strengths of the Optic Nerve Center? The Optic Nerve Center offers world class service in multiple disciplines.
What is the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center? The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (HCCC) is a nationally recognized tumor center. The HCC (Director: George Weiner MD) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, one of only 60 such centers in the U.S. The Center was recently named a comprehensive cancer center (one of only 37). The HCCC provides in house expertise and nationally ranked affiliated subspecialty care. Are the departments and faculty of the Optic Nerve Center well known? The primary subspecialities involved in the Tumors of the Optic Nerve Initiative are ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, cancer therapy, and radiation therapy. The U.S. News and World Report survey identified these specialites as some of "America's Best" including ophthalmology (6th), neurology/neurosurgey (9th), and cancer (38th). What are the advantages of coming to the Center for optic pathway gliomas? Optic pathway gliomas are uncommon and consequently few centers have a large experience. The development and study of a large prospective tumor registry (collection of patients over time) would definitely enhance care and advance the field. There is no universally accepted staging system for visual and hypothalamic gliomas. Prospective natural history data might improve our ability to predict the behavior of tumors based upon location or other factors (e.g. association with neurofibromatosis I). Many of the recent advances in survival with higher quality of life and decreased morbidity (including visual loss) have been made due to large clinical trials. Due to the paucity of cases at any one center, a regional tumor center would be able to recruit and analyze larger numbers of patients for a clinical trial. A multidisciplinary approach is required for the treatment of these tumors. Radiation therapy to the growing child's brain has significant side effects and newer modalities to reduce these risks are available at UI Health Care. Chemotherapy has been employed to delay the need for radiation therapy in some of these patients and a pediatric neuro-oncology specialist is required as part of the team. Long-term management of these patients is complex, difficult, and requires a multispecialty approach that can best be optimized under a single organizational structure. What is the advantage of coming to the Center for an optic nerve meningioma? The development of a large tumor registry for optic nerve meningiomas would also enhance care for these patients. Surgical resection is reserved for patients with severe proptosis or complete or near complete visual loss. Chemotherapy and hormonal therapy have not proven to be effective. New modalities of radiation therapy are currently the mainstay of therapy but no prospective study with large numbers of patients has been performed to date. Long-term follow up is necessary in these patients due to the benign course of the lesion. Last modification date:
Fri Jun 28, 2002
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