Welcome to Volume 9 of CNS Oncology.

Abstract

Content highlights Our most-read article of the year comes from Ugonma Chukwueke and Patrick Wen, both of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (MA, USA), and reviews the recommendations of the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) working groups [1]. Distinct RANO groups have been set up for different tumor and treatment types, each group aiming to develop relevant and reliable criteria that can be implemented by clinicians. This review discusses how the recommendations given by the RANO groups may be applied to the care of patients with different brain tumor types and suggests what is still needed for the guidelines to fully reflect the complex nature of each tumor. For anyone interested in neuro-oncology and CNS oncology management, this is a key read. From Issue 1 of this volume, the article has been cited twice and is already the most-read article ever published in CNS Oncology. Next up, we have a preliminary communication written by David E Piccioni et al. (University of California San Diego, CA, USA), describing their study evaluating whether circulating tumor DNA could facilitate genomic interrogation in patients with primary brain tumors [2]. Contrary to previous studies in this area, the group found that 50% of patients included in the study had detectable circulating tumor DNA, making it a clinically viable option for analysis when identifying genomics-based therapy options. Another 2019 article that has hit our most-read list is an editorial that evaluates the benefits of whole-brain radiation therapy versus stereotactic radiosurgery for the treatment of brain metastases [3]. Written by a group from the City of Hope National Medical Center (CA, USA), the article discusses the shift in clinical practice from using whole-brain radiation therapy to stereotactic radiosurgery and looks to the future of radiation therapy for brain metastases. Finally, we have a set of three articles each discussing the Nativis Voyager R ©, an investigational therapeutic medical device that is being developed for the treatment of both pediatric and adult glioblastoma. With feasibility studies in both American [4] and Australian [5] populations, the researchers found no adverse events that could lead to the discontinuation of the device, and it demonstrated a benign safety profile. However, as stated in an editorial on the device by Victor Levin (MD Anderson, TX, USA), further studies are needed to determine the full impact of the therapy on overall survival of patients with glioblastoma [6].