Tumor Control and Growth in a Patient with Two Cerebral Metastases Treated with the Leksell Gamma Knife ®

Radiosurgery ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 152-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.T. Szeifert ◽  
I. Salmon ◽  
P. David ◽  
D. Devriendt ◽  
F. De Smedt ◽  
...  
2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 90-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Linskey

✓ By definition, the term “radiosurgery” refers to the delivery of a therapeutic radiation dose in a single fraction, not simply the use of stereotaxy. Multiple-fraction delivery is better termed “stereotactic radiotherapy.” There are compelling radiobiological principles supporting the biological superiority of single-fraction radiation for achieving an optimal therapeutic response for the slowly proliferating, late-responding, tissue of a schwannoma. It is axiomatic that complication avoidance requires precise three-dimensional conformality between treatment and tumor volumes. This degree of conformality can only be achieved through complex multiisocenter planning. Alternative radiosurgery devices are generally limited to delivering one to four isocenters in a single treatment session. Although they can reproduce dose plans similar in conformality to early gamma knife dose plans by using a similar number of isocenters, they cannot reproduce the conformality of modern gamma knife plans based on magnetic resonance image—targeted localization and five to 30 isocenters. A disturbing trend is developing in which institutions without nongamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) centers are championing and/or shifting to hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for vestibular schwannomas. This trend appears to be driven by a desire to reduce complication rates to compete with modern GKS results by using complex multiisocenter planning. Aggressive advertising and marketing from some of these centers even paradoxically suggests biological superiority of hypofractionation approaches over single-dose radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas. At the same time these centers continue to use the term radiosurgery to describe their hypofractionated radiotherapy approach in an apparent effort to benefit from a GKS “halo effect.” It must be reemphasized that as neurosurgeons our primary duty is to achieve permanent tumor control for our patients and not to eliminate complications at the expense of potential late recurrence. The answer to minimizing complications while maintaining maximum tumor control is improved conformality of radiosurgery dose planning and not resorting to homeopathic radiosurgery doses or hypofractionation radiotherapy schemes.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 47-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Yuh Chung ◽  
David Hung-Chi Pan ◽  
Cheng-Ying Shiau ◽  
Wan-Yuo Guo ◽  
Ling-Wei Wang

Object. The goal of this study was to elucidate the role of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) and adjuvant stereotactic procedures by assessing the outcome of 31 consecutive patients harboring craniopharyngiomas treated between March 1993 and December 1999. Methods. There were 31 consecutive patients with craniopharyngiomas: 18 were men and 13 were women. The mean age was 32 years (range 3–69 years). The mean tumor volume was 9 cm3 (range 0.3–28 cm3). The prescription dose to the tumor margin varied from 9.5 to 16 Gy. The visual pathways received 8 Gy or less. Three patients underwent stereotactic aspiration to decompress the cystic component before GKS. The tumor response was classified by percentage reduction of tumor volume as calculated based on magnetic resonance imaging studies. Clinical outcome was evaluated according to improvement and dependence on replacement therapy. An initial postoperative volume increase with enlargement of a cystic component was found in three patients. They were treated by adjuvant stereotactic aspiration and/or Ommaya reservoir implantation. Tumor control was achieved in 87% of patients and 84% had fair to excellent clinical outcome in an average follow-up period of 36 months. Treatment failure due to uncontrolled tumor progression was seen in four patients at 26, 33, 49, and 55 months, respectively, after GKS. Only one patient was found to have a mildly restricted visual field; no additional endocrinological impairment or neurological deterioration could be attributed to the treatment. There was no treatment-related mortality. Conclusions. Multimodality management of patients with craniopharyngiomas seemed to provide a better quality of patient survival and greater long-term tumor control. It is suggested that GKS accompanied by adjuvant stereotactic procedures should be used as an alternative in treating recurrent or residual craniopharyngiomas if further microsurgical excision cannot promise a cure.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 32-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Serizawa ◽  
Toshihiko Iuchi ◽  
Junichi Ono ◽  
Naokatsu Saeki ◽  
Katsunobu Osato ◽  
...  

Object. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the effectiveness of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) for multiple cerebral metastases with that of whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Methods. Ninety-six consecutive patients with cerebral metastases from nonsmall cell lung cancer were treated between 1990 and 1999. The entry criteria were the presence of between one and 10 multiple brain lesions at initial diagnosis, no surgically inaccessible tumors with more than a 30-mm diameter, no carcinomatous meningitis, and more than 2 months of life expectancy. The patients were divided into two groups: the GKS group (62 patients) and the WBRT group (34 patients). In the GKS group, large lesions (> 30 mm) were removed surgically and all other small lesions (≤ 30 mm) were treated by GKS. New distant lesions were treated by repeated GKS without prophylactic WBRT. In the WBRT group, the patients were treated by the traditional combined therapy of WBRT and surgery. In both groups, chemotherapy was administered according to the primary physician's protocol. The two groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, initial Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, type, lesion number, and size of lesion, systemic control, and chemotherapy. Neurological survival and qualitative survival of the GKS group were longer than those of the WBRT group. In multivariate analysis, significant poor prognostic factors were systemically uncontrolled patients, WBRT group, and poor initial KPS score. Conclusions. Gamma knife radiosurgery without prophylactic WBRT could be a primary choice of treatment for patients with as many as 10 cerebral metastases from nonsmall cell cancer.


2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 18-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petter Förander ◽  
Tiit Rähn ◽  
Lars Kihlström ◽  
Elfar Ulfarsson ◽  
Tiit Mathiesen

ObjectIntracranial chondrosarcomas have a high risk of recurrence after surgery. This retrospective study of patients with intracranial chondrosarcoma was conducted to determine the long-term results of microsurgery followed by Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for residual tumor or recurrence.MethodsThe authors treated nine patients whose median age was 36 years. Seven patients had low-grade chondrosarcomas (LGCSs), whereas mesenchymal chondrosarcomas (MCSs) were diagnosed in two. Radiosurgery was performed in eight patients, whereas one patient declined further surgical intervention and tumor-volume reduction necessary for the GKS.The patients were followed up for 15 to 173 months (median 108 months) after diagnosis and 3 to 166 months (median 88 months) after GKS. Seven patients had residual tumor tissue after microsurgery, and two operations appeared radical. In the two latter cases, tumors recurred after 25 and 45 months. Thus, definite tumor control was not achieved after surgery alone in any patient, whereas the addition of radiosurgery allowed tumor control in all six patients with LGCSs. Two of these patients experienced an initial tumor regrowth after GKS; in both cases the recurrences were outside the prescribed radiation field. The patients underwent repeated GKS, and subsequent tumor control was observed. An MCS was diagnosed in the remaining two patients. Complications after microsurgery included diplopia, facial numbness, and paresis. After GKS, one patient had radiation necrosis, which required microsurgery, and two patients had new cranial nerve palsies.Conclusions Tumor control after microsurgery alone was not achieved in any patient, whereas adjuvant radiosurgery provided local tumor control in six of eight GKS-treated patients. Tumor control was not achieved in the two patients with MCS. Similar to other treatments for intracranial chondrosarcoma, morbidity after micro- and radiosurgical combination therapy was high and included severe cranial nerve palsies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toral R. Patel ◽  
Ali K. Ozturk ◽  
Jonathan P. S. Knisely ◽  
Veronica L. Chiang

2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. e463-e468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela Motta ◽  
Antonella del Vecchio ◽  
Luca Attuati ◽  
Piero Picozzi ◽  
Lucia. Perna ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii19-iii19
Author(s):  
Choo Heng Tan ◽  
Bengt Karlsson ◽  
Shilin Wang ◽  
John J Y Zhang ◽  
Yvonne Ang ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Gamma Knife Surgery (GKS) is widely used for treatment of brainstem metastases (BSMs) with or without whole bran radiation therapy (WBRT). We hypothesized that BSMs treated with GKS using lower doses and omitting WBRT result in acceptable tumor control rates and low complication rates. Methods A retrospective single center study was performed to investigate the outcome following GKS of BSMs. All 33 patients with follow-up information treated with GKS for 39 metastases located in the cerebral peduncle, midbrain, pons or medulla oblongata were included in the study. The median treatment dose, defined as the lowest dose to 95% of the tumor volume, was 18 Gy. The tumor control rate as well as the survival time were related to a number of patients, tumor and treatment parameters. Results The local tumor control rate was 100% at one year and 89% at five years, and the overall median survival was 17 months. A good performance status and a treatable extracranial disease were favorably related to survival time. Two complications were observed, one lethal hemorrhage at the day of the treatment and one transient complication three months following GKS, resulting in a 6% complication rate at five years. Four of the 10 patient with symptomatic BSM improved clinically after GKS, while six remained unchanged. Conclusions High local control and a low complication rates can be achieved using GKS for BSMs using lower doses as compared to brain metastases in other locations.


2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mooseong Kim ◽  
Sunghwa Paeng ◽  
Seyoung Pyo ◽  
Yeonggyun Jeong ◽  
Sunil Lee ◽  
...  

ObjectPituitary adenomas have been treated using a variety of modalities including resection, medication, fractionated radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery. The policy has been that all adenomas should first be treated with resection to reduce the volume of the tumor. The authors' study was conducted to determine the efficacy of using Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for pituitary adenomas invading the cavernous sinus.MethodsOf 397 patients with pituitary tumors who underwent GKS between October 1994 and October 2005, 68 patients had pituitary macroadenomas invading the cavernous sinus. Sixty-seven cases were available for follow up. The mean age of the patients in these cases was 42.8 years (range 14–73 years). The male/female ratio was 0.8:1. The mean adenoma volume was 9.3 cm3. A total of 24 patients had undergone craniotomies and resection, and 11 patients had undergone transsphenoidal surgery prior to GKS. The mean follow-up period was 32.8 months. Tumor control was defined as a decrease or no change in tumor volume after GKS. Endocrinological improvement was defined as a decline in hormone levels to below 50% of the pre-GKS level.Tumor control was achieved in 95.5% of the cases. Endocrinological improvement was achieved in 68% of 25 patients. One patient suffered hypopituitarism after GKS.Conclusions Gamma Knife surgery is a safe and effective treatment for invasive pituitary macroadenoma with few complications.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris Zachenhofer ◽  
Stefan Wolfsberger ◽  
Martin Aichholzer ◽  
Alexander Bertalanffy ◽  
Karl Roessler ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Surgical resection of cranial base meningiomas is often limited owing to involvement of crucial neural structures. Within the last 2 decades Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has gained increasing importance as an adjunct treatment after incomplete resection and as an alternative treatment to open surgery. However, reports of long-term results are still sparse. We therefore performed this study to analyze the long-term results of GKRS treatment of cranial base meningiomas, following our previously published early follow-up experience. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the medical files for Gamma Knife and surgical treatments, clinicoradiological findings, and outcome was carried out focusing on tumor control, clinical course, and morbidity. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 1995, we treated 36 patients with cranial base meningiomas using GKRS (male:female ratio, 1:5; mean age, 59 yr; range, 44–89 yr). Twenty-five patients were treated with GKRS after open surgery, and 11 patients received GKRS alone. Tumor control, neurological outcomes, and adverse effects were analyzed after a long-term follow-up period (mean, 103 mo; range, 70–133 mo) and compared with our previous results after an early follow-up period (mean, 48 mo; range, 36–76 mo). Control of tumor growth was achieved in 94% of patients. Compared with the early follow-up period, the late neuroradiological effects of GKRS on cranial base meningiomas were continuing tumor shrinkage in 11 patients (33%), stable tumor size in 20 patients (64%) and tumor progression in two meningiomas (6%). The neurological status improved in 16 patients (44%), remained stable in 19 patients (52%), and deteriorated in one patient (4%). Adverse side effects of GKRS were found only during the early follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Our data confirm that GKRS is not only a safe and effective treatment modality for cranial base meningiomas in short-term observation, but also in a mean long-term follow-up period of more than 8 years. Tumor shrinkage and clinical improvement also continued during the longer follow-up period.


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