Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) Practice Exam

What is the only fully established risk factor for meningiomas?

1. Genetic predisposition

2. Radiation exposure

3. Certain infections

4. Aging

The correct answer is: Radiation exposure

Radiation exposure is recognized as the only fully established risk factor for meningiomas. This association has been documented extensively in medical literature. Individuals who have received therapeutic radiation, particularly to the head, show an increased incidence of meningiomas, especially when the exposure occurs at a younger age. The mechanism is thought to involve the induction of mutations in the meningeal cells due to the effects of ionizing radiation, leading to tumor formation over time. While there are other factors that have been explored as potential risks for meningiomas, such as genetic predispositions and certain infections, these have not been conclusively established as direct causes. Genetic predispositions can influence individual susceptibility to tumors, but they are not solely risk factors without other contributory influences. Certain infections may be linked to the development of other tumor types but lack strong evidence connecting them specifically to meningiomas. Aging does correlate with an increased incidence of many tumor types, including meningiomas, but it is not a specific risk factor in the same definitive manner as radiation exposure, which has clear and proven ties to the etiology of these tumors.