Intracranial Gliomas Part III - Innovative Treatment Modalities

Book excerpt: At present most intracranial gliomas are considered incurable with current treatment strategies, and the search for new modalities that may effectively control tumor growth continues. The chapters in this volume describe basic principles and therapeutic possibilities of several innovative techniques, including photodynamic therapy, laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy, stereotactic cryodestruction, high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation, boron neutron capture therapy, proton and carbon ion irradiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, local chemotherapy, and alternating electric fields therapy. Potential applications of extracellular vesicles and nanotechnology for management of gliomas are highlighted as well. Many of these methods have already demonstrated antitumor efficacy in clinical testing, whereas others are still under development. The materials presented in this book are mainly directed at clinicians treating patients with brain tumors, as well as clinical and basic researchers working in the field of neuro-oncology.