Over a decade has passed since the publication of the successful first edition of Comprehensive Management of Skull Base Tumors, and much has happened in the intervening years. Major advances have been made in the surgical, radiotherapeutic, and chemotherapeutic management of skull base neoplasms. Coincident has been the rapidly advancing understanding of the biology and molecular underpinnings of such tumors. The latter has opened new doors to individualized therapeutics and holds tremendous promise for continued advances.
This revised and updated second edition is again intended as a comprehensive guide to navigate the complexity of contemporary multidisciplinary management of patients with tumors affecting the skull base. Tumor-specific chapters are expanded to emphasize the significant advances in molecular characterization of these tumors and discuss potential novel treatments based on this data.
We have organized this book into the following three sections: general principles, site-specific chapters, and tumor-specific chapters. Section one covers general topics pertinent to all patients with neoplasms of the skull base, regardless of specific location or tumor type. Of note is the expanded coverage of endonasal skull base anatomy and surgical principles. Radiotherapeutic principles and management are covered over two chapters in order to emphasize the significant advances in this area over the past decade, such as proton therapy and stereotactic radiation. Other topics covered include pathology, genetics, clinical evaluation, diagnostic imaging, anesthesia, surgical reconstruction, prosthetic rehabilitation, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, evaluation and rehabilitation of speech and swallowing, functional outcomes and quality of life issues, neurocognitive assessment, and cerebrovascular management.