Neurosurgery and, specifically, neurosurgical oncology have experienced a technological revolution in recent decades. New technologies are assumed to increase the success rate and safety of surgical procedures. Among them, intraoperative imaging has played a paramount role in this innovative shift by reassuring surgeons about their real-time decisions by providing reliable feedback during surgeries. From neuronavigation and fluorescence-guided surgeries, through to intraoperative computed tomography (iCT), intraoperative magnetic resonance (iMR) and intraoperative ultrasound (iUS). To more modern techniques, such as augmented reality and confocal endomicroscopy, the available intraoperative armamentarium has established a new paradigm. However, the hectic release of new devices and applications, supposed to overcome the limitations of their predecessors, prevents a thorough assessment of their actual benefits. Therefore, there is a lack of robust evidence to recommend the general adoption of most new technologies, which often involve unaffordable costs for many health systems worldwide.

This research topic aims to build a body of knowledge on the different applications of intraoperative imaging for neurosurgical oncology based on the best possible evidence. We intend to provide a comprehensive view of the issue of intraoperative imaging by including primary (glial and nonglial) and metastatic brain tumors for adult and pediatric patients. We seek to incorporate a perspective on the costs of implementing intraoperative imaging devices to discuss their cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost reduction. Gathering the actual and most recent experience in this field and an economic balance would provide general recommendations to help in the decision-making for the adoption of these technologies.

This research topic welcomes Original Research, Case series, Reviews and Clinical trials on the applications, benefits, drawbacks, innovations and future perspectives in intraoperative imaging for neurosurgical oncology. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Benefits, drawbacks and risks of the implementation of intraoperative imaging devices for:
- Primary brain tumors in adult and pediatric patients (Glial and nonglial tumors).
- Metastatic brain tumors in adult and pediatric patients.

• Specific applications of intraoperative imaging in skull base tumors (craniopharyngioma, chordoma,
chondrosarcoma, pituitary adenomas, meningiomas, etc.).

• Innovations and future perspectives in intraoperative imaging.

• Impact on patients' clinical outcome and quality of life when implementing intraoperative imaging
technologies for neurosurgical oncology procedures.

• Cost analysis of intraoperative imaging device implementation: The cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost
reduction.

Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.

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Frontiers in Oncology

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