Female patients with meningioma of the sphenoid ridge and additional primary neoplasms of the breast and genital tract

The Association Between Meningioma and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

A potential relationship between meningioma and breast cancer was suggested 70 years ago. However, to date, no conclusive evidence is available on this topic.

Objective

To provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the association of meningioma with breast cancer, supported by a meta-analysis.

Data Sources

A systematic PubMed search was performed up to April 2023 to identify articles on the association of meningioma with breast cancer. The following key words were used strategically: meningioma, breast cancer, breast carcinoma, association, relation.

Study Selection

All studies reporting women diagnosed with meningioma and breast cancer were identified. The search strategy was not limited by study design or publication date but only included articles in English. Additional articles were identified via citation searching. Studies reporting a complete population of meningiomas or breast cancer patients throughout a specific study period and a proportion of patients with a second pathology could be used for the meta-analysis.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Data extraction was performed by 2 authors in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement. Meta-analyses regarding both populations were performed using a random-effects model. Risk of bias was assessed.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main measures were whether there was an increased prevalence of breast cancer in female patients with meningioma and whether there was an increased prevalence of meningioma in female patients with breast cancer.

Results

A total of 51 retrospective studies (case reports, case series, and cancer registry reports) describing 2238 patients with both diseases were identified; 18 studies qualified for prevalence analyses and meta-analysis. The random-effects meta-analysis (13 studies) revealed a significantly greater prevalence of breast cancer in female patients with meningioma than in the overall population (odds ratio [OR], 9.87; 95% CI, 7.31-13.32). Meningioma incidence in patients with breast cancer (11 studies) was greater than that in the baseline population; however, the difference according to the random-effects model was not statistically significant (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.99-2.02).

Conclusions and Relevance

This large systematic review and the meta-analysis on the association between meningioma and breast cancer found nearly 10-fold higher odds of breast cancer in female patients with meningioma compared with the general female population. These findings suggest that female patients with meningioma should be screened more intensively for breast cancer. Further research is required to identify the factors causing this association.

Presentation and management of spinal meningioma and its association with breast carcinoma-case series and systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Benign spinal intradural tumors are rare entities and there have been relatively few case series describing the epidemiology and characteristics of these tumors. Here, we evaluate the presentation, demographics, pathology and outcomes associated with the surgical management of spinal meningioma in our unit over a 6-year period.

RESULTS

A total of 68 cases presented to the operating surgeon during a 6-year period. Of these, over 80% (n = 55) were in females. Seventy-nine percent of the meningiomas were observed in the thoracic region (n = 54). Weakness and gait disturbance were the most common presenting complaints. Surgery significantly improved both motor outcome (p < 0.001) and health related qualities of life (SF36, p < 0.01).Seventeen percent of spinal meningioma cases (n = 12) had a preceding cancer diagnosis. Of these 75% (n = 9/12) were attributable to breast cancer. Overall, breast cancer preceded a diagnosis of a spinal meningioma in 16.4% of female cases (9/55). This is higher than expected number of breast cancer based on UK population and those reported in literature for breast cancer and intracranial meningioma.

CONCLUSION

Spinal meningioma is disproportionately over-represented in females. Patients present with neurological deficits and surgery improved both neurology and patient reported quality of life. Relative to the known UK prevalence of breast cancer, there is a significantly higher than expected association between spinal meningioma and a preceding history of breast cancer.

Association of Breast Carcinoma and Meningioma: Report of Nine New Cases and Review of the Literature

Nine patients with diagnosed breast cancer who developed meningiomas are reported. Articles suggesting that an association of these two tumors is possible. Some authors have noted hormonal sensivity and the presence of hormonal receptors in some meningiomas. Since breast cancer is the most common tumor in women, an association between it and meningiomas might be fortuitous. However, it is important to fully investigate brain lesions in patients with breast cancer so that potentially curable meningiomas are not considered as metastases.

The association of breast cancer and meningioma in men and women

OBJECTIVE

An association between breast cancer and intracranial meningioma has been described in women. We sought to determine whether this connection exists in men as well, hypothesizing that causes unrelated to sex may be responsible.

METHODS

We queried state cancer registries that recorded data on breast cancer and meningioma. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology codes for breast cancer and meningioma were used. The incidence rate of the second primary tumor was compared between identified meningioma and breast cancer cohorts and the general population for each sex.

RESULTS

Five state registries collected data on men and women from 1995 to 2003. The incidence of meningioma was 2.6 and 0.96 (cases per 100,000) for women and men, respectively, during this period. The incidence of breast cancer was 61 and 0.69 (cases per 100,000) for women and men, respectively, during this period. One man and 439 women were diagnosed with both diseases. The standardized incidence ratio was used to determine the magnitude of association between breast cancer and meningioma. During the study period, the standardized incidence ratio indicated a stronger than expected association between breast cancer and meningioma in women, regardless of which disease was diagnosed first. In every year except one, the standardized incidence ratio indicated no association between breast cancer and meningioma in men, regardless of which disease was diagnosed first.

CONCLUSION

Our results support a strong association between meningioma and breast cancer in women. Conversely, we were unable to show as strong an association in men. This suggests that the connection between these diseases may be dependent on sex.

Second primary tumors following a diagnosis of meningioma in Sweden, 1958-1997

This study quantifies the risk of second primary tumors following a diagnosis of meningioma. 12,012 meningiomas and 926 second primary cancers were identified (ICD7, path code 461) between 1958 and 1997 using Swedish Cancer Registry data. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. An elevated risk of any second primary cancer diagnosis (SIR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1-1.3) was observed. Elevated and statistically significant SIRs were observed for renal cancer (SIR = 1.6), melanoma (SIR = 1.7), thyroid cancer (SIR = 2.6) and brain tumors (SIR = 2.6). A consistent pattern of risk over time supports the evaluation of common risk factor profiles for renal, melanoma and thyroid cancers. Radiation exposures increase the risk of these rare tumors, so quantifying the cumulative and shared effects of environmental and treatment exposures is of further interest.

Predisposing conditions and risk factors for development of symptomatic meningioma in adults

BACKGROUND

Risk factors and predisposing factors for the development of symptomatic meningioma during adult life are not well known.

METHODS

Data from 306 consecutive patients with primary meningioma were collected retrospectively in a hypothesis-generating study. Factors studied included localisation of tumours, blood group typing, and risk factors, such as diabetes mellitus, coronary arterial disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, smoking, obesity, and second primary tumour. Case-control analysis of putative risk factors was carried out using a control data set from the German East-West Health Survey (n=7466, age range 25-69 years). Patients and controls were matched for age, gender, geographic area, and time of data collection.

RESULTS

Rh(D) positive cases were significantly less frequent in the patient group compared to controls (p=0.01). Pre-existing diabetes was associated with meningioma in middle-aged (40-69 years) patients (odds ratio, OR 13.94-4.30, p=0.001-0.05). In female patients, arterial hypertension was significantly associated with occurrence of meningioma in the age group 60-69 years (OR=2.23, p=0.041). Rheumatoid arthritis had a negative association with meningioma in both males and females in the age groups above 50 years (OR 0.19-0.27, p=0.02-0.034). Bronchial asthma, smoking, and obesity were not significantly associated with meningioma. A second primary tumour was present in 12 cases. The most frequent combination was meningioma and breast cancer (5/12).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows statistically significant association of some co-morbidities with symptomatic meningioma in adults. Areas of interest have been identified where further research would be necessary.

Intracranial meningioma and breast cancer

Breast carcinoma has a high predisposition to metastasize to the brain parenchyma. An association between carcinoma of the breast and intracranial meningioma has been reported. The available published articles regarding patients with intracranial meningioma and breast carcinoma have been reviewed. To the best of our knowledge, 86 cases including our 4 cases have so far been reported. All cases were female, and the mean age was 62.4 years when intracranial meningioma was diagnosed. The mean interval of the 2 tumours was 4.5 years. Twenty-five cases of breast tumour were infiltrating duct carcinomas. The location of intracranial meningioma and pathologic subtype showed no specific predominance. Hormone receptor study was performed in 28 cases. In meningioma, the positive rate of progesterone receptor (32.1%) is higher than oestrogen receptor (7.1%); while the positive rate of oestrogen receptor (53.6%) is higher than the progesterone receptor (42.9%) in breast cancer. A review of this study is presented with emphasis on the existence of intracranial meningioma and breast cancer in one patient at different periods. Lesions of the central nervous system in patients with breast cancer should not be immediately labeled as metastases. Intracranial meningioma should be excluded. Likewise, patients with meningioma should have periodic physical examinations and mammographies whereby disease may be diagnosed and treated at an early stage

Adamantinoma and meningioma occurring synchronously in a patient with breast cancer: a case report

Screening mammography of a woman with no symptoms led to the diagnosis of carcinoma of the breast, an intracranial meningioma, and adamantinoma of the right tibia. This is the first reported case of three synchronous primary tumors of different tissue origins. Biopsy is essential for diagnosing or excluding primary tumor(s) in cases of suspected metastases occurring at a limited number of sites.

Meningiomas múltiplos em um lactente: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

Neste trabalho é apresentado um caso de meningiomas múltiplos em um lactente de cinco meses de idade, em que o diagnóstico se torna difícil pela apresentação da lesão dominante, de localização selar e supra-selar, com grande área cística na região frontal direita, e que tem grande interesse por sua raridade. Em seguida é apresentada uma revisão da literatura sobre o assunto.

Primary leptomeningeal meningiomatosis with widespread whorl formation

We report a 10-year-old girl with a primary leptomeningeal tumor. She presented with a 5-week history of increased intracranial pressure, progressive cranial nerve deficits, and spinal compression signs. She had previously had a granulosa cell tumor, a benign estrogen-producing ovarian tumor, which was resected 6 months before the initial neurological symptoms developed. At autopsy, the brain and spinal cord showed diffuse neoplastic involvement of the leptomeninges. The tumor was composed of small cells with a high nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, which were immunoreactive for vimentin but not for epithelial membrane antigen or cytokeratin. In addition, the tumor contained many small cellular whorls with desmosome-like junctional complexes between the cells, suggesting that the tumor was a meningioma, basically of the meningothelial type. The term "meningeal meningiomatosis" has been used synonymously with "primary meningeal sarcomatosis." The present tumor was considered to be a rare example of "meningeal meningiomatosis" of true meningothelial cell origin.

Metastasis of breast carcinoma to intracranial meningioma. Case report

A case of metastasis from breast carcinoma found within a cerebral meningioma is reported. Histological diagnosis of the cerebral tumor prompted radiological investigation that visualized the asymptomatic malignant systemic tumor and excluded other metastases elsewhere. The pathogenetic aspects of this exceptional occurrence are discussed in the light of the relevant literature.

Association of breast cancer and meningioma. Report of 12 new cases and review of the literature

We report 12 new cases of female breast cancer associated with intracranial meningiomas, inclusive of autopsy study. At the time of death the patients' age ranged from 52 to 95 years (average 70.6 years). Breast carcinomas were documented ante mortem in 11 cases and at autopsy in 1. Meningiomas were diagnosed at autopsy (10 cases) or in vivo (2 cases). The diagnosis of meningioma antedated that of mammary carcinoma in only one patient. Histologically, the cancers were of ductal (11 cases) and lobular infiltrating (1 case) types and showed a variable malignancy grade. Widespread extracranial metastases were present at autopsy in 7 cases. Brain metastases were seen in 1 case. Neurologic signs were referred in 4 subjects. Four breast cancers and one meningioma showed immunoreactivity for progesterone receptors, whereas all the cases were negative for estrogen receptors. In one case, metastatic breast carcinoma tissue was present within a psammomatous meningioma. A brief review of the literature, which includes 14 similar observations, is reported. Although the association of breast cancer and meningioma is still difficult to explain, its clinical implications are important and deserve proper attention. A proper work up in patients with suspected intracranial metastases is recommended so that resectable meningiomas are not mistaken for metastases.

[Meningioma of the olfactory groove and breast neoplasms: report of 2 cases]

Two cases of olfactory groove meningiomas are presented in patients with breast cancer. Predominance of breast cancer and meningiomas in the age decades of the forties and the fifties, presence of steroid hormones receptors in both and prevalence of meningiomas in women are referred as significant correlations. Examination of the breast of women with meningiomas is recommended. Tomographic images are sometimes atypical, and a surgical intervention may be necessary.