As of today, September 30, the neuro-oncology team of the UMC Utrecht will start a one-stop-shop clinic for patients with a meningioma.
Tumors
Meningiomas are common, usually benign, tumors of the meninges. Common: a study in the Rotterdam neighborhood of Ommoord showed 1% of all over-45s to have a meningioma. Most people have little or no problems. Many patients therefore have a chance finding. (through a scan for another examination, for example) Even if it is benign, if people do suffer from it, it is annoying and sometimes even disabling. It can manifest itself in epilepsy, double vision, paralysis or speech and language disorders.
Best approach
The treatment options are surgery and / or radiation. Because it is so common, patients with meningiomas are seen in many hospitals. But not all hospitals employ specialized radiotherapists and neurosurgeons. The neuro-oncology team at UMC Utrecht therefore receives many questions about the best approach from fellow neurologists, requests for second opinion from general practitioners, and from patients. Until now, this was mainly done on paper. At the one-stop-shop clinic, patients can now be seen by a neurologist in one morning, then discussed in a multidisciplinary consultation of neurologist / neurosurgeon / radiotherapist, and subsequently receive a treatment proposal from the doctors involved.
By physically seeing the patients, more precise advice can be given. It gives a better picture of the patient and everything can also be discussed with the patient himself. If treatment is required, the patient can also speak directly to the practitioner on that day. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the appointments can also take place via video consultation.
Advice ‘expectant policy’
With the advice ‘expectant policy’, referrals are made to their own neurologist. This will take place at UMC Utrecht during the ‘treatment’ advice. At present, more than 90 operations / treatments are performed annually and we guide / advise more than 150 patients per year.
Source: UMC Utrecht
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