Adding to a vitally important cycle of publications covering the latest research developments in our understanding of neoplasms affecting the human central nervous system, this edition focuses on numerous aspects of pineal, pituitary, and spinal tumors. As with the previous volumes in the series, this latest work addresses a central imperative in cancer research-the need to standardize classifications, written definitions and investigative guidelines in order to achieve a measure of shared objectivity among academics engaged in one of the most important medical endeavors of our era. It brings together the very latest work by oncologists, neurosurgeons, physicians, research scientists, and pathologists, providing the medical community with a wealth of data and results that, taken together, will advance the cause of cancer research.

The volume synthesizes work on diagnosis, drug development, and therapeutic approaches that are typically scattered in a variety of journals and books. It features promising recent work in applying molecular genetics to clinical practice and evidence-based therapy, covering molecular profiling of tumors as well as a number of surgical treatments such as resection and radiosurgery. Together with its counterpart publications, it represents a much-needed central resource that will inform and guide future research efforts.

Inhalt
Preface. I. Pineal tumors.- Papillary tumor of the pineal region.- Pineal region tumors: clinical aspects.- Papillary tumor of the pineal region: diagnosis.- Pineal parenchymal tumors: immunohhistochemistry.- Pineal parenchymal tumors: diagnostics and prognosis.- Papillary tumors of the pineal region: diagnosis and treatment.- Pineal region tumors: optimal neurosurgical treatment.II. Pituitary tumors.- Pituitary tumors: genetics and heritable predisposition.- Xanthogranulomas associated with pituitary adenomas: magnetic resonance imaging.- Pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma: an overview.- Familial pituitary adenomas: an overview.- Papillary glioneuronal tumor.- Solitary fibrous tumor.- Pituitary adenomas: mcm2 protein as a cell proliferation marker.- Pituitary adenomas: role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors.- Pituitary tumorigenesis: role of regulation of wee1 kinase by micrornas.- Pituitary tumor cells: role of pkc, pkc, and pck expression.- Pituitary adenoma: role of hmga proteins.- Pituitary adenomas: role of e-cadherin in tumor invasion.- Pituitary tumorigenesis: role of the wnt signaling pathway.- The role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr) and ahr-interacting Protein (aip) in the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas.- Pituitary tumors: role of pituitary tumor- transforming gene-1 (pttg1).- Pituitary adenomas: endoscopic endonasal transphenoidal Technique.- Pituitary adenoma patients: hypofractionated cyberknife Radiosurgery (method).- Transspheniodal/transcranial surgery of pituitary adenomas: Prognosis-related occurrence for the trigemino-cardiac reflex. III. Spinal tumors.- Spinal extradural meningiomas.- Spinal cord ganglio glioma.- Spinal angiolipoma: diagnosis and treatment.- Spinal cord injury: tissue engineering using neural stem cells.- Pediatric spinal tumors: total removal using laminotomy.- Treatment of metastatic spinal epidural disease: surgery versus radiotherapy.- Metastatic spinal cord compression from synovial sarcoma:surgical resection.- Adult spinal intramedullary ependymomas: complete resection.- Spinal intramedullary astrocytomas: prognostic factors. Index.