Welcome to the Neuro-oncology Group
Development of the neuro-oncology list within the CGNOC has been necessitated by the improving quality of research in evidence based neuro-oncology and plethora of new reviews. The group aims to provide a focal point within Cochrane to facilitate a coherent network to locate reviews. The reviews in this area are managed by Co-ordinating Editors Robin Grant and Mike Hart. Robin is a Consultant Neurologist at the Edinburgh Centre for neuro-oncology (ECNO) which is based within the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. ECNO provides a base for administrative and clinical integration of staff from Neurology, Neurosurgery and Oncology who have a special interest in neuro-oncology and who are involved in the joint neuro-oncology clinic. Robin is the Past President of the European Association of neuro-oncology. Mike Hart is a Specialty Trainee in neuro-oncology at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Neuro-oncology, as a subspecialty, relates to the diagnosis and management of brain and spinal cord tumours, the effectiveness and complications of treatment for brain and spinal cord tumours and the adverse neurological effects that treatments for cancer may have on the nervous system, either directly, or indirectly.
The Cochrane Neuro-oncology Group was established formally in 2011, as a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health, to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest.
The Co-ordinating Editors for this topic area are Robin Grant and Mike Hart.
Robin Grant Mike Hart
Robin is a Consultant Neurologist at the Edinburgh Centre for neuro-oncology (ECNO) which is based within the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK. ECNO provides a base for administrative and clinical integration of staff from Neurology, Neurosurgery and Oncology who have a particular interest in neuro-oncology. Robin is the Past President of the European Association of Neuro-oncology. Mike Hart is a specialty trainee in Neurosurgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Mike has authored many reviews in Neuro-Oncology topics over the last 10 years. They are both experienced Cochrane systematic reviewers and have been involved with the Group for over a decade.
Kathy Oliver is a consumer referee for Cochrane neuro-oncology reviews. She is founding Co-Director of the International Brain Tumour Alliance (IBTA), a worldwide coalition of brain tumour support, advocacy and information groups, clinicians, researchers, scientists, nurses and allied healthcare professionals who work in the field of brain tumours.....continue reading Kathy's biography
The team is further supported by a growing list of international experts who act as contact editors for reviews, Mark Gilbert is based at the MD Anderson Cancer Center along with Paul Brown.
Martin van den Bent (NL) Glioma
Paul Brown (USA) Brain Metastases
Guido Cavaletti (It) Chemo-toxicity / Neuropathy
Susan Chang (USA) Glioma
Mark Gilbert, (USA) Glioma
Khe Hoang-Xuan (Fr) Primary CNS Lymphoma
Simon Kerrigan (UK) Symptoms (Epilepsy / Cognition –Neurologist)
Lynn Kilbride (UK) Quality of Life
Kathy Oliver (UK) Cochrane Consumer Referee
James Perry (Can) Glioma
Alasdair Rooney (UK) Symptoms (Mood – Psychiatrist)
Riccardo Soffietti (It) Brain Metastases
Martin Taphoorn (NL) Quality of Life
Building on this requires furthering links with major neuro-oncology societies to promote methodological learning, education and publication of neuro-oncology reviews. All authors of Cochrane systematic reviews have access to training and support resources from the Cochrane Collaboration. Detailed information regarding training is available via the following links, Cochrane Training. We encourage potential authors to consider the strength of evidence for specific questions in neuro-oncology and if appropriate, where randomized controlled trials have been performed, to consider whether these meet the strict methodological criteria for inclusion in a Cochrane systematic review.
Neuro-oncology relevant reviews are somewhat dispersed in different Cochrane Groups where neuro-oncology articles may not be that obvious to the Cochrane Library user. In addition to the Cochrane Gynaecological, Neuro-oncology, Orphan Cancer Group, there are relevant neuro-oncology reviews published in the Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Group, Cochrane Epilepsy Group, Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group, Neuromuscular Diseases Group, Lung Cancer Group, Back Group, Childhood Cancer Group and several others.
For further information on conducting a Cochrane systematic review in neuro-oncology please contact