New research published in JAMA Oncology suggests that incorporating chromosomal copy number alterations—specifically loss of chromosome 1p and gain of chromosome 1q—may significantly enhance the grading of meningiomas, leading to improved prognostication and more personalised treatment strategies.
Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumours, and accurate grading is essential for guiding management.
The current World Health Organization (WHO) classification system relies primarily on histopathological features. However, this approach has known limitations, as meningiomas with similar histology can exhibit markedly different clinical behaviours.
In this study, researchers analysed chromosomal alterations in tumour samples and found that:
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Loss of Chromosome 1p was associated with a higher risk of tumour recurrence and progression.
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Gain of Chromosome 1q was linked to more aggressive tumour behaviour and poorer outcomes.
These molecular changes provide independent prognostic value beyond the traditional WHO grading system.
Incorporating chromosomal analysis into meningioma grading could allow clinicians to more accurately identify patients at higher risk of recurrence or progression.
This would support better-informed decisions about surveillance intensity and adjuvant therapies, particularly in cases where histology alone may not capture the full biological risk.
The integration of chromosome 1p and 1q status into meningioma grading marks a promising advancement in neuro-oncology. This approach moves grading toward a more biologically informed model—supporting precision medicine and improving outcomes for patients with this common brain tumour.
Paper: Landry APWang JZPatil V, et al. Chromosome 1p Loss and 1q Gain for Grading of Meningioma. JAMA Oncol. Published online April 03, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.0329. Access online here.
