[Education] Central Nervous System Malignancies: Fundamentals

HOPA Now is the official podcast of the Hematology/Oncology/Pharmacy Association, an organization dedicated to supporting pharmacy practitioners and promoting the advancement of Hematology/Oncology/Pharmacy to optimize the care of individuals impacted by cancer.

 

These educational podcasts are part of our BCOP Preparatory and Recertification Course, which is designed to prepare oncology pharmacists preparing to sit for the BCOP Certification Exam, as well as meet the BPS requirement to complete a BCOP Preparatory/Recertification Review Course.

 

In this episode of HOPA Now, Dr. Samantha Reiss discusses the background and pathophysiology of central nervous system malignancies with a focus on malignant brain tumors and high-grade gliomas. This session covers epidemiology, grading and classification, risk factors, and clinical presentation of central nervous system malignancies. She concludes with an overview of workup and diagnosis information and recommendations for further treatment.     

 

In this episode, you will learn:

 

Central Nervous System Malignancies Fundamentals

• Data surrounding the epidemiology and characterizations of central nervous system malignancies
• Understanding the WHO classification and grading system through tumor molecular classification
• Genetic alterations including IDH mutations, 1p19q codeletion, and O-6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase
• Risk factors and signs and commonly presented symptoms in CNS malignancies
• An overview of diagnosis, workup, and prognosis information and recommendations for further treatment

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

HOPA

 

Quotes:

 

“Central nervous system malignancies are a heterogeneous mix of neoplasms arising from various cells in the CNS.” — Dr. Samantha Reiss

 

“Primary brain tumors are classified by their histologic similarities based on their cells of origin and classified by their degree of differentiation.” — Dr. Samantha Reiss

 

“Genetics are only weakly associated with gliomas and there are few rare hereditary syndromes that are associated with increased risk of glioma.” — Dr. Samantha Reiss