TY - JOUR
T1 - Educational needs in neuro-oncology
T2 - Insights from the European Society for Medical Oncology Central Nervous System Faculty Survey
AU - Mirallas, Oriol
AU - Cerretti, Giulia
AU - Berghoff, Anna Sophie
AU - Brandsma, Dieta
AU - De Vos, Filip
AU - Furtner, Julia
AU - Galldiks, Norbert
AU - Lombardi, Giuseppe
AU - Lukacova, Slavka
AU - Razis, Evangelia
AU - Tabatabai, Ghazaleh
AU - Le Rhun, Emilie
AU - Franceschi, Enrico
AU - Minniti, Giuseppe
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors are rare malignancies with limited treatment options, resulting in high mortality. Unlike other solid tumors, CNS tumors present unique challenges that impact the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and caregivers. Effective management requires balancing oncologic treatment with the control of neurocognitive deficits, epilepsy, and other neurological symptoms.METHODS: The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) CNS Faculty conducted a consensus process to identify the most pressing educational priorities for physicians managing CNS malignancies. This process involved structured data collection and expert input to determine critical areas for disease-specific education and training.RESULTS: The consensus process highlighted key educational gaps in managing CNS tumors, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to optimize therapeutic strategies, improve survival outcomes, enhance HRQoL during treatment and survivorship, and facilitate access to emerging therapies. Physicians reported that comprehensive, disease-specific education is essential to address these challenges effectively.CONCLUSION: CNS tumors require targeted educational initiatives to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal patient care. The ESMO CNS Faculty consensus underscores the importance of structured, disease-specific training to improve outcomes, support HRQoL, and advance oncology education in the management of CNS malignancies.
AB - BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors are rare malignancies with limited treatment options, resulting in high mortality. Unlike other solid tumors, CNS tumors present unique challenges that impact the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients and caregivers. Effective management requires balancing oncologic treatment with the control of neurocognitive deficits, epilepsy, and other neurological symptoms.METHODS: The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) CNS Faculty conducted a consensus process to identify the most pressing educational priorities for physicians managing CNS malignancies. This process involved structured data collection and expert input to determine critical areas for disease-specific education and training.RESULTS: The consensus process highlighted key educational gaps in managing CNS tumors, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach to optimize therapeutic strategies, improve survival outcomes, enhance HRQoL during treatment and survivorship, and facilitate access to emerging therapies. Physicians reported that comprehensive, disease-specific education is essential to address these challenges effectively.CONCLUSION: CNS tumors require targeted educational initiatives to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal patient care. The ESMO CNS Faculty consensus underscores the importance of structured, disease-specific training to improve outcomes, support HRQoL, and advance oncology education in the management of CNS malignancies.
U2 - 10.1093/noajnl/vdag097
DO - 10.1093/noajnl/vdag097
M3 - Article
C2 - 42261280
SN - 2632-2498
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Neuro-oncology advances
JF - Neuro-oncology advances
IS - 1
M1 - vdag097
ER -