Project description:Objective To review the outcomes and complications of meningiomas treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) as a primary treatment as well as an adjunct therapy. Materials and Methods We performed a retrospective review (2000-2013) of 136 patients with meningiomas who received GKRS. Of 136 patients, 68 patients had recurrent or residual tumors after microsurgical resection, and the other 68 patients received GKRS alone. The study population was evaluated clinically and radiographically after GKRS treatment. Results GKRS in meningiomas showed significant variations in tumor growth control (decreased in 69 patients [50.7%], arrested growth in 47 patients [34.6%], and increased tumor size in 20 patients [14.7%]). Progression-free survival rates after GKRS at 3, 5, and 10 years were 98%, 95% and 85%, respectively. Overall improvement of signs and symptoms after GKRS was 30% (71% versus 41%) compared with pretreated sign and symptoms (p = 0.0001). The Karnofsky performance scale was significantly improved after GKRS compared with the pretreated status (92 versus 80). Twenty patients (14.7%) required resection after initial GKRS. Conclusion These study findings revealed that GKRS offers a high rate of tumor control, preservation of multiple nerve functions, and a good quality of life in both new and recurrent patients with meningiomas.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a treatment option for persistent or recurrent acromegaly secondary to a growth hormone secreting pituitary adenoma, but its efficacy is inadequately defined. OBJECTIVE:To assess, in a multicenter, retrospective cohort study, the outcomes of SRS for acromegaly and determine predictors. METHODS:We pooled and analyzed data from 10 participating institutions of the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation for patients with acromegaly who underwent SRS with endocrine follow-up of ≥6 mo. RESULTS:The study cohort comprised 371 patients with a mean endocrine follow-up of 79 mo. IGF-1 lowering medications were held in 56% of patients who were on pre-SRS medical therapy. The mean SRS treatment volume and margin dose were 3.0 cm3 and 24.2 Gy, respectively. The actuarial rates of initial and durable endocrine remission at 10 yr were 69% and 59%, respectively. The mean time to durable remission after SRS was 38 mo. Biochemical relapse after initial remission occurred in 9%, with a mean time to recurrence of 17 mo. Cessation of IGF-1 lowering medication prior to SRS was the only independent predictor of durable remission (P = .01). Adverse radiation effects included the development of ≥1 new endocrinopathy in 26% and ≥1 cranial neuropathy in 4%. CONCLUSION:SRS is a definitive treatment option for patients with persistent or recurrent acromegaly after surgical resection. There appears to be a statistical association between the cessation of IGF-1 lowering medications prior to SRS and durable remission.
Project description:IntroductionRecurrent head and neck carcinomas are notoriously difficult to treat. Salvage surgery, brachytherapy, and repeat external beam radiotherapy have all been utilized, achieving modest local control at the expense of elevated toxicity. We performed a retrospective review to evaluate the efficacy of single fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for the treatment of recurrent head and neck carcinomas.MethodsEighteen previously irradiated patients diagnosed with a locoregionally recurrent head and neck malignancy and treated with single fraction SRS from 2000 to 2016 were analyzed. Actuarial rates for local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) were calculated with Kaplan-Meier estimates.ResultsMedian follow-up was 16.1 months and SRS dose was 13.3 Gy. One-year rate of LC was 52.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29%-72%). Median OS was 25.4 months. Parotid gland primary had an increased risk of progressive disease (PD) following SRS (hazard ratio [HR] 4.24, p=0.02). Squamous cell histology was negatively associated with OS (HR 3.85, p=0.03). One patient experienced grade 2 radionecrosis.ConclusionsSingle fraction SRS is an acceptable treatment for previously irradiated patients with recurrent head and neck primary malignancies. Dose escalation to optimize LC should be examined.
Project description:The surgical management of Skull Base Meningiomas (SBMs) has radically changed over the last two decades. Extensive surgery for patients with SBMs represents the mainstream treatment; however, it is often challenging due to narrow surgical corridors and proximity to critical neurovascular structures. Novel surgical technologies, including three-dimensional (3D) preoperative imaging, neuromonitoring, and surgical instruments, have gradually facilitated the surgical resectability of SBMs, reducing postoperative morbidity. Total removal is not always feasible considering a risky tumor location and invasion of surrounding structures and brain parenchyma. In recent years, the use of primary or adjuvant stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has progressively increased due to its safety and efficacy in the control of grade I and II meningiomas, especially for small to moderate size lesions. Patients with WHO grade SBMs receiving subtotal surgery can be monitored over time with surveillance imaging. Postoperative management remains highly controversial for grade II meningiomas, and depends on the presence of residual disease, with optional upfront adjuvant radiation therapy or close surveillance imaging in cases with total resection. Adjuvant radiation is strongly recommended in patients with grade III tumors. Although the currently available chemotherapy or targeted therapies available have a low efficacy, the molecular profiling of SBMs has shown genetic alterations that could be potentially targeted with novel tailored treatments. This multidisciplinary review provides an update on the advances in surgical technology, postoperative management and molecular profile of SBMs.
Project description:Supratentorial non-skull base meningiomas are the most common primary central nervous system tumor subtype. An understanding of their pathophysiology, imaging characteristics, and clinical management options will prove of substantial value to the multi-disciplinary team which may be involved in their care. Extensive review of the broad literature on the topic is conducted. Narrowing the scope to meningiomas located in the supratentorial non-skull base anatomic location highlights nuances specific to this tumor subtype. Advances in our understanding of the natural history of the disease and how findings from both molecular pathology and neuroimaging have impacted our understanding are discussed. Clinical management and the rationale underlying specific approaches including observation, surgery, radiation, and investigational systemic therapies is covered in detail. Future directions for probable advances in the near and intermediate term are reviewed.
Project description:Meningioma in vivo research is hampered by the difficulty of establishing an easy and reproducible orthotopic model able to mimic the characteristics of a human meningioma. Moreover, leptomeningeal dissemination and high mortality are often associated with such orthotopical models, making them useless for clinical translation studies. An optimized method for inducing meningiomas in nude mice at two different sites is described in this paper and the high reproducibility and low mortality of the models are demonstrated. Skull base meningiomas were induced in the auditory meatus and convexity meningiomas were induced on the brain surface of 23 and 24 nude mice, respectively. Both models led to the development of a mass easily observable by imaging methods. Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI was used as a tool to monitor and characterize the pathology onset and progression. At the end of the study, histology was performed to confirm the neoplastic origin of the diseased mass.
Project description:BackgroundThis systematic review reports on outcomes and toxicities following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFAs) and presents consensus opinions regarding appropriate patient management.MethodsUsing the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a systematic review was performed from articles of ?10 patients with NFAs published prior to May 2018 from the Medline database using the key words "radiosurgery" and "pituitary" and/or "adenoma." Weighted random effects models were used to calculate pooled outcome estimates.ResultsOf the 678 abstracts reviewed, 35 full-text articles were included describing the outcomes of 2671 patients treated between 1971 and 2017 with either single fraction SRS or hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (HSRT). All studies were retrospective (level IV evidence). SRS was used in 27 studies (median dose: 15 Gy, range: 5-35 Gy) and HSRT in 8 studies (median total dose: 21 Gy, range: 12-25 Gy, delivered in 3-5 fractions). The 5-year random effects local control estimate after SRS was 94% (95% CI: 93.0-96.0%) and 97.0% (95% CI: 93.0-98.0%) after HSRT. The 10-year local control random effects estimate after SRS was 83.0% (95% CI: 77.0-88.0%). Post-SRS hypopituitarism was the most common treatment-related toxicity observed, with a random effects estimate of 21.0% (95% CI: 15.0-27.0%), whereas visual dysfunction or other cranial nerve injuries were uncommon (range: 0-7%).ConclusionsSRS is an effective and safe treatment for patients with NFAs. Encouraging short-term data support HSRT for select patients, and mature outcomes are needed before definitive recommendations can be made. Clinical practice opinions were developed on behalf of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS).
Project description:ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the radiological change patterns in skull base meningiomas after conventionally fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (CFSRT) to determine a simple and valid method to assess the tumor response.Materials and methodsForty-one patients with a benign skull base meningioma treated by CFSRT from March 2007 to August 2015 were retrospectively evaluated. We measured tumor volume (TV), long-axis diameter (LD), and short-axis diameter (SD) on both pre-treatment images and follow-up images of 1, 3, and 5 years after CFSRT, respectively. The paired t test was used to detect differences in the LD and SD change rates. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate relationships between the TV and the diameters changes.ResultsThe number of available follow-up MRIs that was performed at 1, 3, and 5 years after the CFSRT was 41 (100%), 34 (83%), and 23 (56%), respectively. The change rates of SD were significantly higher than those of LD at every time point and more strongly correlated with the change rates of tumor volume at 3 and 5 years after CFSRT.ConclusionsSD may be useful as a simple indicator of the tumor response for skull base meningioma after CFSRT.Key points• The change rate in short-axis diameter is a useful and simple indicator of the response of skull base meningioma to conventionally fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. • Conventionally fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for skull base meningioma achieved excellent 5-year local control.