The researchers analyzed 75 patients who had fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for a residual pituitary adenoma between 2004 and 2013.
Neurosurgery published the study online.
Here are five observations:
1. David S. Baskin, MD, neurosurgery vice chair at Houston Methodist and co-author of the study, said a single dose of radiation may not be strong enough to destroy a pituitary gland tumor, as pituitary adenomas grow slowly.
2. Applying targeted, multiple stereotactic radiotherapy more effectively destroys pituitary tumors as they slowly grow.
3. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy is a deviation from stereotactic radiosurgery. FSRT is more aggressive against the tumors without causing as many problems.
4. Of those patients studied, none had tumor recurrence. Additionally, 70 percent of patients with hormonal imbalances experienced normal hormonal levels after treatment.
5. The next step involves looking at the effectiveness of FSRT in the long term.
More articles on spine:
Enhancing minimally invasive spine surgery: Key notes on Luna 3D Interbody Fusion System, Kiva VCF Treatment System
‘The best decision I made in 2015’: 4 spine surgeons discuss
Net Medical Xpress speeds up neurology, neurosurgery telemedicine consultations: 5 takeaways
