Volumetric follow up of brain metastases: a useful method to evaluate treatment outcome and predict survival after Gamma Knife surgery?

2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guenther Christian Feigl ◽  
Gerhard A. Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Outcome ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Tumor Type ◽  
The Mean

ObjectBrain metastases are diagnosed in 20 to 40% of all cancer patients and are associated with a considerable drop in life expectancy and often also in quality of life for these patients. Several treatment options are available including surgery, chemotherapy, whole-brain radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). However, management of brain metastases still presents a challenge and there is no general consensus on the best treatment strategy. The aim of the authors' study was to further evaluate the efficacy of GKS in the treatment of brain metastases and to evaluate the predictive value of volumetric tumor follow-up measurement.MethodsConsecutive patients with controlled systemic cancer and variable numbers of brain metastases were included in this prospective study. Patients with severe symptoms of brain compression underwent surgery before GKS. Each follow-up examination included a thorough neurological examination and a neuroradiological quantitative volumetric tumor analysis.A total of 300 consecutive patients (mean age 58 years) with 703 brain metastases were treated between December 1998 and October 2005. The mean total tumor volume (TTV) was 2.1 cm3. The overall local tumor control rate was 84.5%. In 79% of all treated metastases a mean TTV reduction of 84.7% was achieved using a mean prescription dose of 21.8 Gy. Only few, mostly mild, side effects were observed during the mean follow-up period of 12.7 months. The overall mean progression-free survival period was 9.4 months. There was a statistically significant difference in survival of patients with one compared with multiple metastases, regardless of the histological type and preceding treatment.Conclusions Gamma Knife surgery is a safe and effective treatment for patients with brain metastases regardless of the history of treatment and histological tumor type. It achieves excellent tumor control, significant TTV reduction without causing severe side effects, and accordingly, preserves quality of live. Volume changes after GKS did not serve as a predictor for treatment outcome and survival.

Gamma Knife surgery for invasive pituitary macroadenoma

2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mooseong Kim ◽  
Sunghwa Paeng ◽  
Seyoung Pyo ◽  
Yeonggyun Jeong ◽  
Sunil Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Cavernous Sinus ◽  
Pituitary Adenomas ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Pituitary Macroadenoma ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Fractionated Radiotherapy ◽  
The Mean

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.

Volume reduction in meningiomas after gamma knife surgery

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
pp. 189-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guenther C. Feigl ◽  
Otto Bundschuh ◽  
Alireza Gharabaghi ◽  
Madjid Samii ◽  
Gerhard A. Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Tumor Volume ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Volume Reduction ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fine Print

Object.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the volume-reducing effects of gamma knife surgery (GKS) of meningiomas with and without previous surgical treatment.Methods.A group of 127 patients with a mean age of 57.1 years (range 9–81 years) with 142 meningiomas (128 World Health Organization Grade I and 14 Grade II) were included in this study. The management strategy reduces tumor volume with surgery when necessary (81 patients). Stereotactic GKS with a Gamma Knife model C was performed in all tumors of suitable size. Magnetic resonance imaging follow-up examinations with volumetric tumor analysis was performed 6 months after treatment and annually thereafter.The mean tumor volume was 5.9 cm3(range < 5 to > 40 cm3). The mean follow-up time after GKS was 29.3 months (range 11–61 months). The mean prescription dose was 13.8 Gy (range 10–18 Gy). A reduction in volume occurred in 117 (82.4%) of all tumors, and in 20 tumors (14.1%) growth ceased. The overall tumor control rate of 96.4%. The mean volume reduction achieved with GKS was more than 46.1%. Only five tumors (3.5%) showed a volume increase.Conclusions.Gamma knife surgery was effective in reducing meningioma volume at short-term follow up. Further studies are needed to examine the development of these findings over a longer period.

Long-term outcomes of Gamma Knife surgery for cavernous sinus meningioma

2007 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshinori Hasegawa ◽  
Yoshihisa Kida ◽  
Masayuki Yoshimoto ◽  
Joji Koike ◽  
Hiroshi Iizuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Progression ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Cavernous Sinus ◽  
Initial Treatment ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
The Mean

Object The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term outcomes, including tumor control and neurological function, in patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas treated using Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). Methods One hundred fifteen patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas, excluding atypical or malignant meningiomas, were treated with GKS between 1991 and 2003. Forty-nine patients (43%) underwent GKS as the initial treatment. The mean tumor volume was 14 cm3, and the mean maximum and margin doses applied to the tumor were 27 and 13 Gy, respectively. The median follow-up period was 62 months. During the follow-up, 111 patients were able to be evaluated with neuroimaging. Results The actuarial 5- and 10-year progression-free survival rates were 87 and 73%, respectively. Similarly, the actuarial 5- and 10-year focal tumor control rates were 94 and 92%, respectively. Regarding functional outcomes, 43 patients (46%) experienced some degree of improvement, 40 (43%) remained stable, and 11 (12%) had worse preexisting or newly developed symptoms. Patients who underwent GKS as the initial treatment experienced significant improvement of their symptoms (p = 0.006). Conclusions Gamma Knife surgery is a safe and effective treatment over the long term in selected patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas. Tumor progression is more likely to occur from the lesion margin outside the treatment volume. In small to medium-sized tumors, GKS is an excellent alternative to resection, preserving good neurological function. For relatively large-sized tumors, low-dose radiosurgery (≤ 12 Gy) is acceptable for the prevention of tumor progression.

scholarly journals Predictors of quality of life and survival following Gamma Knife surgery for lung cancer brain metastases: a prospective study

2018 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidsel Bragstad ◽  
Marianne Flatebø ◽  
Gerd Karin Natvig ◽  
Geir Egil Eide ◽  
Geir Olve Skeie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Bone Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Patient Reported

OBJECTIVELung cancer (LC) patients who develop brain metastases (BMs) have a poor prognosis. Estimations of survival and risk of treatment-related deterioration in quality of life (QOL) are important when deciding on treatment. Although we know of several prognostic factors for LC patients with BMs, the role of QOL has not been established. Authors of this study set out to evaluate changes in QOL following Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for BMs in LC patients and QOL as a prognostic factor for survival.METHODSForty-four of 48 consecutive LC patients with BMs underwent GKS in the period from May 2010 to September 2011, and their QOL was prospectively assessed before and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after GKS by using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Brain (FACT-BR) questionnaire. A mixed linear regression model was used to identify potential predictive factors for QOL and to assess the effect of GKS and the disease course on QOL at follow-up.RESULTSMean QOL as measured by the brain cancer subscale (BRCS) of the FACT-BR remained stable from baseline (score 53.0) up to 12 months post-GKS (57.1; p = 0.624). The BRCS score improved for 32 patients (72.3%) with a total BM volume ≤ 5 cm3. Mean improvement in these patients was 0.45 points each month of follow-up, compared to a decline of 0.50 points each month despite GKS treatment in patients with BM volumes > 5 cm3 (p = 0.04). Asymptomatic BMs (p = 0.01), a lower recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification (p = 0.04), and a higher Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score (p < 0.01) at baseline were predictors for a high, stable QOL after GKS. After multivariate analysis, a high KPS score (p < 0.01) remained the only positive predictor of a high, stable QOL post-GKS.Median survival post-GKS was 5.6 months (95% CI 1.0–10.3). A higher BRCS score (p = 0.01), higher KPS score (p = 0.01), female sex (p = 0.01), and the absence of liver (p = 0.02), adrenal (p = 0.02), and bone metastases (p = 0.03) predicted longer survival in unadjusted models. However, in multivariate analyses, a higher BRCS score (p < 0.01), female sex (p = 0.01), and the absence of bone metastases (p = 0.02) at GKS remained significant predictors. Finally, the BRCS score’s predictive value for survival was compared with the values for the variables behind well-known prognostic indices: age, KPS score, extracranial disease status, and number and volume of BMs. Both BRCS score (p = 0.01) and BM volume (p = 0.05) remained significant predictors for survival in the final model.CONCLUSIONSPatient-reported QOL according to the BRCS is a predictor of survival in patients with BMs and may be helpful in deciding on the optimal treatment. Gamma Knife surgery is a safe and effective therapeutic modality that improves QOL for LC patients with a BM volume ≤ 5 cm3 at treatment. Careful follow-up and salvage therapy on demand seem to prevent worsening of QOL due to relapse of BMs.

Volume reduction in meningiomas after gamma knife surgery

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 189-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guenther C. Feigl ◽  
Otto Bundschuh ◽  
Alireza Gharabaghi ◽  
Madjid Samii ◽  
Gerhard A. Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Tumor Volume ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Volume Reduction ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the volume-reducing effects of gamma knife surgery (GKS) of meningiomas with and without previous surgical treatment. Methods. A group of 127 patients with a mean age of 57.1 years (range 9–81 years) with 142 meningiomas (128 World Health Organization Grade I and 14 Grade II) were included in this study. The management strategy reduces tumor volume with surgery when necessary (81 patients). Stereotactic GKS with a Gamma Knife model C was performed in all tumors of suitable size. Magnetic resonance imaging follow-up examinations with volumetric tumor analysis was performed 6 months after treatment and annually thereafter. The mean tumor volume was 5.9 cm3 (range < 5 to > 40 cm3). The mean follow-up time after GKS was 29.3 months (range 11–61 months). The mean prescription dose was 13.8 Gy (range 10–18 Gy). A reduction in volume occurred in 117 (82.4%) of all tumors, and in 20 tumors (14.1%) growth ceased. The overall tumor control rate of 96.4%. The mean volume reduction achieved with GKS was more than 46.1%. Only five tumors (3.5%) showed a volume increase. Conclusions. Gamma knife surgery was effective in reducing meningioma volume at short-term follow up. Further studies are needed to examine the development of these findings over a longer period.

scholarly journals Gamma Knife surgery for treating brain metastases arising from hepatocellular carcinomas

2014 ◽  
Vol 121 (Suppl_2) ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Suk Park ◽  
Do Hoon Kwon ◽  
Jun Bum Park ◽  
Do Hee Lee ◽  
Young Hyun Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group ◽  
Local Tumor Control ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Local Tumor ◽  
The Mean

ObjectBrain metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rare, and the evidence of the effectiveness of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) in this disease is lacking. The authors report their institutional experience with GKS in patients with brain metastases from HCCs.MethodsThe authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 73 consecutive patients who had a combined total of 141 brain metastases arising from HCCs and were treated with GKS. Sixty-four (87.7%) patients were male, and the mean age of the patients was 52.5 years (range 30–79 years). The mean tumor volume was 7.35 cm3 (range 0.19–33.7 cm3). The median margin dose prescribed was 23 Gy (range 15–32 Gy). Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed to identify possible prognostic factors of outcomes.ResultsThe estimated rate of local tumor control was 79.6% at 3 months after GKS. The median overall survival time after GKS was 16 weeks. The actuarial survival rates were 76.7%, 58.9%, and 26.0% at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after GKS, respectively. In the univariate analysis, an age of ≤ 65 years, Child-Pugh Class A (pertaining to liver function), high Karnofsky Performance Scale score (≥ 70), and low Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis class (I or II) were positively associated with the survival times of patients. No statistically significant variable was identified in the multivariate analysis.ConclusionsAlthough survival was extremely poor in patients with brain metastases from HCCs, GKS showed acceptable local tumor control at 3 months after the treatment. The authors suggest that GKS represents a noninvasive approach that may provide a valuable option for treating patients with brain metastases from HCCs.

Gamma Knife surgery in patients harboring orbital cavernous hemangiomas that were diagnosed on the basis of imaging findings

2010 ◽  
Vol 113 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Liu ◽  
Desheng Xu ◽  
Yipei Zhang ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
Guoxiang Song
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Imaging Findings ◽  
Orbital Pain ◽  
Treatment Volume ◽  
Cavernous Hemangiomas

Object This study was undertaken to evaluate clinical outcomes and tumor control in patients harboring orbital cavernous hemangiomas (OCHs) that had been diagnosed based on findings of imaging studies and treated by Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). Methods Between 1995 and 2008, 23 patients harboring OCHs that had been diagnosed on the basis of imaging findings were treated using GKS; complete follow-up data are available in all cases. The median treatment volume was 1.5 cm3 (range 0.15–10.10 cm3), the median tumor margin dose was 15 Gy (range 12–20 Gy), and the median follow-up period was 12 months (range 6–120 months). Results A decrease in tumor size was found in 20 patients, and no tumor progression was observed after GKS. Eleven of 14 patients whose visual function had been adversely affected prior to treatment had improved visual acuity at the last assessment. Side effects of the procedure included orbital pain in 3 patients and chemosis in 2 patients. Conclusions In this preliminary experience, GKS proved to be an effective treatment for OCHs diagnosed on the basis of imaging findings. Additional follow-up is necessary, and the long-term side effects of the procedure still need to be determined.

Gamma Knife surgery for brain metastases from gastrointestinal cancer

2009 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaldo Neves Da Silva ◽  
Kazuki Nagayama ◽  
David J. Schlesinger ◽  
Jason P. Sheehan
Keyword(s):  
Brain Metastases ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gastrointestinal Cancer ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Gastrointestinal Cancers ◽  
Brain Radiotherapy ◽  
The Mean

Object Brain metastases from gastrointestinal cancers are rare. However, the incidence is increasing because patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma tend to live longer due to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of systemic disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for the treatment of brain metastases from gastrointestinal cancers. Methods The authors performed a retrospective review of 40 patients (18 women and 22 men) who had undergone GKS to treat a total of 118 metastases from gastrointestinal cancers between January 1996 and December 2006. The mean patient age was 58.7 years, and the mean Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score was 70. There were 7 patients with esophageal cancer, 25 with colon cancer, 5 with rectal cancer, 2 with pancreatic cancer, and 1 with gastric cancer. Nineteen patients were treated with whole-brain radiotherapy and/or local brain radiotherapy before GKS. Twenty-four patients had extracranial metastases, and 3 had an additional primary cancer. The mean metastatic brain tumor volume was 4.3 cm3, and the mean maximum tumor dose varied from 17.1 to 76.7 Gy (mean 41.8 Gy). Results Follow-up imaging studies were available in 25 patients with a total of 90 treated metastases. The results demonstrate a tumor control rate of 91%. The median survival time was 6.7 months, and the 6-month and 1-year survival rates were 55 and 25%, respectively. A univariate analysis revealed that the KPS score (≤ 70 vs ≥ 80) was significant (p = 0.018) for improved survival. Conclusions Results in this series suggest that GKS can be an effective tool for the treatment of brain metastases from gastrointestinal cancer.

Clinical analysis of Gamma Knife surgery for trigeminal schwannomas

2006 ◽  
Vol 105 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 144-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shibin Sun ◽  
Ali Liu ◽  
Chongcheng Wang ◽  
Bin Luo ◽  
Meihua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Trigeminal Neuralgia ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Neurological Symptoms ◽  
Cranial Neuropathy ◽  
Tumor Control ◽  
Complete Disappearance ◽  
Cranial Nerve Dysfunction ◽  
The Mean

ObjectThe authors sought to assess the clinical effect of Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for trigeminal schwannomas.MethodsBetween December 1994 and December 2003, 69 patients with trigeminal schwannomas underwent GKS, and 58 patients were followed up and reviewed at the Beijing Neurosurgical Institute. The mean target volume was 4.6 cm3. The mean peripheral dose was 13.1 Gy, and the mean central dose was 28.3 Gy. The mean radiological follow-up period was 42.5 months.Radiological follow-up demonstrated near-complete disappearance of the tumors in four patients (6.9%), in 34 patients (58.6%) a reduction was seen, in 16 patients (27.6%) no change was observed, and in four patients (6.9%) an enlargement was revealed. The overall tumor control rate was 93.1%. Improvement of presenting neurological symptoms was observed in 28 patients (48.3%), stabilization of presenting neurological symptoms was observed in 23 patients (39.6%), continued progression of presenting neurological symptoms was observed in seven patients (12.1%), and transient cranial nerve dysfunction was observed in six patients (10.4%). Among 13 patients with secondary trigeminal neuralgia, 10 patients had significant improvement or disappearance of trigeminal neuralgia after GKS.Conclusions Gamma Knife surgery provides an effective and safe primary and/or adjunct treatment for patients with small- to moderate-sized trigeminal schwannomas, with a low risk of iatrogenic cranial neuropathy and great improvement of clinical symptoms.

Gamma Knife surgery for hypothalamic hamartomas and epilepsy: patient selection and outcomes

2010 ◽  
Vol 113 (Special_Supplement) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adib A. Abla ◽  
Andrew G. Shetter ◽  
Steve W. Chang ◽  
Scott D. Wait ◽  
David G. Brachman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Seizure Frequency ◽  
Gamma Knife Surgery ◽  
Maximum Point ◽  
Long Term Outcome ◽  
Hypothalamic Hamartomas ◽  
The Mean

Object The authors present outcomes obtained in patients who underwent Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) at 1 institution as part of a multimodal treatment of refractory epilepsy caused by hypothalamic hamartomas (HHs). Methods Between 2003 and 2010, 19 patients with HH underwent GKS. Eight patients had follow-up for less than 1 year, and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. The 10 remaining patients (mean age 15.1 years, range 5.7–29.3 years) had a mean follow-up of 43 months (range 18–81 months) and are the focus of this report. Five patients had undergone a total of 6 prior surgeries: 1 transcallosal resection of the HH, 2 endoscopic transventricular resections of the HH, 2 temporal lobectomies, and 1 arachnoid cyst evacuation. In an institutional review board–approved study, postoperative complications and long-term outcome measures were monitored prospectively with the use of a proprietary database. Seven patients harbored Delalande Type II lesions; the remainder harbored Type III or IV lesions. Seizure frequency ranged from 1–2 monthly to as many as 100 gelastic seizures daily. The mean lesion volume was 695 mm3 (range 169–3000 mm3, median 265 mm3). The mean/median dose directed to the 50% isodose line was 18 Gy (range 16–20 Gy). The mean maximum point dose to the optic chiasm was 7.5 Gy (range 5–10 Gy). Three patients underwent additional resection 14.5, 21, and 32 months after GKS. Results Of the 10 patients included in this study, 6 are seizure free (2 after they underwent additional surgery), 1 has a 50%–90% reduction in seizure frequency, 2 have a 50% reduction in seizure frequency, and 1 has observed no change in seizure frequency. Overall quality of life, based on data obtained from follow-up telephone conversations and/or surveys, improved in 9 patients and was due to improvements in seizure control (9 patients), short-term memory loss (3 patients), and behavioral symptoms (5 patients); in 1 patient, quality of life remains minimally affected. Incidences of morbidity were all temporary and included poikilothermia (1 patient), increased depression (1 patient), weight gain/increased appetite (2 patients), and anxiety (1 patient) after GKS. Conclusions Of the approximately 150 patients at Barrow Neurological Institute who have undergone treatment for HH, the authors have reserved GKS for treatment of small HHs located distal from radiosensitive structures in patients with high cognitive function and a stable clinical picture, which allows time for the effects of radiosurgery to occur without further deterioration. The lack of significant morbidity and the clinical outcomes achieved in this study demonstrated a low risk of GKS for HH with results comparable to those of previous series.

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