The Role of Pharmacotherapy in Treatment of Meningioma: A Systematic Review

SIMPLE SUMMARY: For the last 35 years, various systemic therapies for recurrent or refractory meningiomas have been investigated. The present review aggregated the currently available evidence in the literature regarding the safety and efficacy of these treatments and assessed the ongoing trials of medical therapy for meningiomas. The findings of the present study would assist future research in seeing what therapeutic regimens have been investigated, which targets are promising candidates for interventions, and how the ongoing clinical trials are currently designed. ABSTRACT: The safety and efficacy of various pharmacotherapeutic regimens on refractory meningiomas have been the focus of investigations. We present a comprehensive review of the previous efforts and the current state of ongoing clinical trials. A PRISMA-compliant review of the MEDLINE and ClinicalTrial.gov databases of the National Library of Medicine were performed. The primary outcomes of interest for included articles were radiographic response, overall survival, progression-free survival, six-month progression-free survival, and adverse events. Overall, 34 completed trials and 27 ongoing clinical trials were eligible. Six-month progression-free survival was reported in 6–100% of patients in the completed studies. Hematological disorders were the most common adverse events. Of the ongoing clinical trials identified, nine studies are phase I clinical trials, eleven are phase II trials, two are phase I and II trials, one is phase II and III, and two trials do not have a designated phase. Currently, there is no effective chemotherapy for refractory or recurrent meningiomas. Several promising targeted agents have been developed and are currently being investigated in the hope of identifying novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this pathology.