Molecular genetic characterization of cns tumor oncogenesis

This chapter presents the accumulated data from the molecular genetic analyses of human central nervous system (CNS) tumors and compares these data with the tumor evolution model of Nowell by using the histopathologically assessed malignancy of such tumors as an indicator of their stage of malignant progression. The chapter considers the level of resolution that has been obtained toward understanding the molecular genetic nature of CNS neoplasia and the significance of the molecular genetic research toward the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such tumors. The histopathological indicators of biological aggressiveness have been empirically determined through the comparison of tumor morphology with corresponding patient clinical outcome. The chapter describes investigations that represent preliminary attempts toward the identification of genes whose alteration is causally associated with the development of CNS neoplasia, toward the characterization of such alterations, and toward understanding the functional and biological consequences of such alterations. The characterization of genetic changes that confer the tumor cells with increasing growth advantage exposes the mechanisms of cellular proliferation; understanding such processes is the fundamental to altering them and providing promise for the management of CNS cancer.