Showing posts with label Gamma Knife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gamma Knife. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Course of pregnancies in women with Cushing’s disease treated by gamma-knife

(doi:10.3109/09513590.2012.683057)

Francesco Ferraù1, Marco Losa2, Oana Ruxandra Cotta1, Maria Luisa Torre1, Marta Ragonese1, Francesco Trimarchi1, Salvatore Cannavò1

1Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Section of Endocrinology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

2Department of Neurosurgery, Istituto Scientifico San Raffaele, Milan, Italy

Correspondence: Francesco Ferraù, MD, Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, Section of Endocrinology, University of Messina, AOU Policlinico “G. Martino” (Pad. H, floor 4), Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy. Tel: +39 090 2213507. Fax: +39 090 2213945. E-mail: ferrau1@interfree.it

 

Data concerning pregnancy in women with Cushing’s disease treated by gamma-knife (GK) are scanty. We present and discuss the course and outcome of five pregnancies in two women with Cushing’s disease (CD), the first of whom was treated only by GK, and the second one treated by surgery, GK and ketoconazole.

In the first patient, pregnancy was uneventful and full-term. During gestation, plasma ACTH, serum cortisol and 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels were steady, and always in the normal range for healthy non-pregnant individuals. The newborn was healthy and normal-weight.

In the second woman, two pregnancies, occurring 3 years after GK and few months after ketoconazole withdrawal, were interrupted by spontaneous abortion or placental disruption despite normal cortisol levels. This patient became again pregnant 3 years later and delivered vaginally a healthy full-term infant.

Seven months after the delivery, the patient became pregnant again and at the 39th week of gestation delivered vaginally a healthy male. Hypoprolactinemia and/or central hypothyroidism occurred in both cases. In women with CD treated by GK, pregnancy can occur. However, pregnancy is at risk even when ACTH and cortisol levels are normalized by treatment. After GK, evaluation of pituitary function is mandatory due to the risk of hypopituitarism.

Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09513590.2012.683057

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

(Gamma Knife) Noninvasive brain surgery

EIGHT months after giving  birth to her first child, Orange Feliciano discovered that she had a tumor on her pituitary gland. She was worried about her condition as she was only 26 years old and starting to build a family.

Hannah Pimentel, on the other hand, was only 16 when she learned about the 1.8-centimeter arteriovenous malformation on the motor area of her brain.

But both Orange and Hannah now feel that they had a second chance at life, thanks to the Gamma Knife. Undergoing this non-invasive neurosurgical procedure was truly a life-changing experience for them.

The Gamma Knife is a revolutionary breakthrough in brain surgery. It uses radiation produced by 201 beams of cobalt-60 to treat brain tumors, AVMs, and trigeminal neuralgia, among brain diseases. The radiation is so precise that normal brain tissue is unaffected.

The Philippine Gamma Knife Center made the procedure available locally. Being a noninvasive technique, Gamma Knife does not cause complications such as hemorrhage, infection or other injuries associated with conventional brain surgery.

Hannah and Orange were impressed by Gamma Knife . They were also happy that the treatment took only a few hours. After a few days of rest, both Gamma Knife patients went back to their routines.

Know more about the Gamma Knife by visiting the Philippine Gamma Knife Center at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center compound or calling 7259254, 7237575, and 7260776.

From http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/lifestyle/health-a-wellness/3918-noninvasive-brain-surgery

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Cushie warriors: men, women & children who battle Cushing’s numerous times in hopes of winning the war

MelissaTX posted this on the message boards in honor of Cushing's Awareness Day, April 8:

Many of you only know one person with Cushing’s. It is difficult to understand or keep up with ‘your person’ as s/he seeks treatment. You have probably never known someone with Cushing’s before, right? You do know, however, that ‘your person’ talks about Cushing’s a lot or is pretty darned passionate about their Cushie friends. We lean on and help others even as we struggle to find our way through complicated testing, surgery (-ies), and hopefully, cures.

You see, for us, we know MANY people with Cushing’s through cushings-help.com website. Cushing’s is a house guest who ruins our lives and won’t leave us alone. We Cushies all find it incredibly frustrating to have hit the many walls. We see it every day: patients insulted, dismissed, and defeated. When it happens to us, we are often rendered speechless. When we see our fellow Cushies meet the same poor medical treatment, we become incensed. Ultimately, we know our bodies best, and we are found to be correct. We know when we have a disease as devastating as Cushing’s.

For Cushing’s Awareness Day, we compiled this list of Cushing’s patients from all over the world who are fighting Cushing’s and seek treatment and a cure through multiple surgical procedures and even radiation. A glossary of terms is located at the bottom of the list.

Every patient wants to be understood, supported, and cared for. We want you to know that we are one of many who suffer from this ‘rare’ albeit rarely diagnosed disease.

Today, the Cushing community stands before you, asking you to recognize us for the struggles we face and for you to be the most supportive and caring friend or family member you can be to ‘your person.’

(NOTE: This is only a sample collected through a short time on the Cushing’s messages boards. There are many, many more patients like us).

  1. Melissa, Texas.
    Pituitary surgery #1: June 2009.
    Pituitary surgery # 2: soon in April 2011.
  2. Sarah, Oregon.
    Pituitary surgery #1: Nov 2009.
    Pituitary surgery #2: March 2010.
    Pituitary Surgery #3: Sept 2010.
    BLA: April 2011.
  3. Alex B, California
    Pituitary surgery March 2008
    BLA July 2009.
  4. Krystine T, Washington
    1st failed Pituitary surgery March 1996
    2nd failed Pituitary surgery Dec 2002
    BLA Dec 2004
    3rd failed Pituitary surgery Sept 2009
    MEGA ONE DAY Radiation ZAP Aug 2010
  5. Jill, Denver, Colorado
    left adrenalectomy Nov 2006
    right adrenalectomy Feb 2008
  6. Karen, Hinesburg,Vermont
    1st Pituitary surgery in Portland OR, January 9,2006. Not successful.
    2nd Pituitary surgery in Seattle Washington July 9, 2007.
    CSF leak July 13, 2007. I'm in remission.
  7. Christy, Oklahoma.
    Pituitary surgery 9-2004 Oklahoma City
    BLA 11-2004 Oklahoma City
    Rest Tissue PIT 9-2006 Pittsburgh
    CSF leak repair with titanium after the last pituitary surgery and it was removed 5-2009.
  8. Beth, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
    Gamma knife December 2006 and again December 2008. Still broken, and if the tumor grows more (it's been stable for a bit now), I'll likely be headed for a 3rd time!
  9. Justin K., Kansas
    Pituitary surgery, May 19, 2008.
    BLA, May 6, 2009.
  10. Jessica K., Kansas.
    Pituitary surgery, May 16, 2008.
    BLA, May 6, 2009.
  11. Bill K., Kansas.
    Pituitary surgery, August 14, 2009.
    BLA, June 2, 2010.
  12. Danielle, Massachusetts.
    Pituitary Surgery #1 Dec 16, 2009.
    Pituitary Surgery #2 February 11, 2010.
    BLA Sep 2, 2010
  13. Trisha T, Tampa FL
    Pituitary surgery 4/07
    Currently trying to avoid BLA with various meds.
  14. Cindy W, Kentucky.
    Pituitary Surgery 11-5-07
    BLA 03-07-08
    CSF Leak repair 10-28-08
  15. Lisa, Illinois.
    Pituitary Surgery 5-30-08
    BLA 11-4-09
    Still not cured.
  16. Susan G.
    Pituitary Surgery 7/07
    Cleared for 2nd pituitary surgery 10/10.
  17. Kimberly, Illinois.
    Pituitary Surgery 11-2-2009
    BLA 2-2-2011.
  18. Debra, Virginia
    Debra v. Gallbladder due to Cushings, 1/2005
    root canal due to broken tooth 8/2008
    Pituitary surgery 10/2008
    BLA 6/2010
    Sinus/leak repair 1/2011
    Surgeries offered and rejected == repair of foot muscles, lap band surgery; surgery for excess stomach acid
  19. Lisa O, Washington State
    3/25/2009-pituitary surgery
    5/13/2010-BLA
  20. April, KY.
    Unsuccessful pituitary surgery 1/15/10.
    Testing again.
  21. Elizabeth J, KY
    Pituitary Surgery 7-2-2009
    BLA Sept. 15, 2010
  22. Trisha S, Indiana
    Pituitary surgery 11/13/2008.
    Not cured - retesting.
  23. Lynne R, Oxford, England.
    Pituitary surgery April 2008
    CSF leak repairs: April 2008, May 2008, May 2008 (3 leaks in the space of 5 weeks), with meningitis as a result of the leaks.
    Issues due to pituitary gland removal: crohns disease, pernicious anaemia, life dependent on multiple medications [hydrocortisone, ddavp, thyroxine, hrt, growth hormone, colestyramine, Vit B12 injections etc, etc. ( oh, and it stole my life- and I'd quite like it back please)]
  24. Dara M, Limerick, Ireland.
    Pituitary surgery 29th June 2009
    got MRSA in sinus as a result, had surgery to remove scar tissue.
    MRSA is not for Christmas, for me it's for life xxx
  25. Philip B, New Jersey.
    Pituitary surgery at MD Anderson October 31, 2007.
    Testing for Recurrence since Jan. 2011.
    Replacing Growth hormone and Testosterone
  26. Donna, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
    Pituitary surgery Aug2009.
    new tumor march 2010 but not told about it until sept2010 when it got to 9mm.
    had gamma knife nov. 2010.
    still waiting to be better. tumor has not shrunk yet
  27. Michelle, California.
    Pituitary surgery February 2009.
    BLA February 2010.
    Not cured. Testing. 2 tumors showed on MRI.
  28. Shauna N, Washougal, WA.
    Pituitary surgery 8/2/01
    BLA 2/5/02.
  29. Robin S, Salem, VA
    Pituitary surgery Dec. 14, 2006
    BLA June 16, 2010
  30. Lori, Great Neck, NY
    Diagnosed 12/1994.
    Pituitary surgery 3/1995
    Pituitary surgery 5/1997
    Pituitary surgery 7/1999
    Still sick. Possible Cyclical?
  31. Nan, New Jersey
    Pituitary Surgery, October 2010
  32. Dan, Delaware.
    Pituitary Surgery #1 August 2009.
    Pituitary Surgery #2 February 2011.
  33. Cyndie M, New Jersey
    Pituitary 1-09-2009
    Upcoming BLA 4-28-2011.
  34. Kim S., Pennsylvania
    Surgery #1 Jan 2010 positive for Acromegaly but was trying to find a cure for Cushings.
    Testing since Oct 2010 for Cushings.
  35. Kay, New Jersey
    1st & 2nd Pituitary surgery June 2008 - in remission
  36. Jenny, Iowa.
    Pituitary Surgery #1- May 2008.
    Pituitary Surgery #2- April 2009.
    Currently considering a BLA vs. pituitary surgery #3.
  37. Tanya, Buffalo, NY
    Pituitary surgery #1 - February 2010
    currently seeking re-diagnosis
  38. Denise P, Dallas,Oregon
    2003 Pituitary surgery Vanderbilt
    2004 canceled pituitary removal after screws were in (I was in pre-op) Vandy
    2004 Stereotactic Radiosurgery- Vanderbilt
    2005 Right half of Pit removed - OHSU
    2005 BLA - OHSU
  39. Cate, Georgia
    Pituitary surgery #1 and 2 -- August 2009.
    In remission.
  40. Kate, New Jersey
    Pituitary surgery #1 - Jan. 2007 (Failed)
    Pituitary surgery #2 - July 2007 (Total Pit Removal; Failed)
    CSF Leak Surgeries - Oct. 2007 (Failed; still have small leak)
    Open BLA with 18" incision - Sept. 11, 2008
    Gamma Knife Radiosurgery - Oct. 2009
    No pit, no adrenals, radiation damage to hypothalamus (cannot regulate body temp.)
  41. Pat, California
    Pituitary Surgery #1: August 2000.
    Pituitary Surgery #2 December 2007.
    Currently testing for surgery #3.
  42. Christy, New Mexico
    Pituitary surgery November 2010.
    Considering BLA
  43. Brenda, Alberta, Canada
    Pituitary surgery May, 2007
    BLA May, 2007
  44. Jamie, Washington State
    Pituitary surgery #1: March 2010.
    Pituitary surgery #2: April 2010.
  45. Melissa, Florida
    Pituitary surgery #1: March 2009.
    Pituitary surgery #2: December 2009.
    BLA to come?
  46. Vicki, Buffalo, NY
    Pituitary surgery #1: October 2009.
    Pituitary surgery # 2: April 2010.
    BLA soon to come.
  47. Gina, Georgia
    Pituitary surgery #1: March 2009.
    Bilateral Adrenalectomy: October 2009.
  48. Sherry C, Silverton OR
    1st pituitary surgery 3/2006
    2nd pit surgery 9/2006
    BLA 10/2006.
    Sick since 1999 but diagnosed in 2005.
    Tested for 1 year. Knew I had Cushing's since 2004.
    Still sick....but it's the aftermath of the damage the cortisol did to me and the steroids now.
  49. Melyssa, Colorado
    Pituitary Surgery # 1: August 2009.
    Currently testing again.
  50. Michaela, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
    Pituitary surgery 1 -- June 2005
    Pituitary surgery 2 -- Jan 2008
    Pituitary surgery 3 -- July 2008
    BLA -- July 2009
  51. Gisella, California
    Pituitary surgery #1: October 2009.
    Pituitary surgery #2: August 2010.
    Pituitary surgery # 3 or BLA to come.
  52. (Additions to original list, 4/9/2011)
    Tonya, NW Indiana
    Pituitary Tumor: Transphenoidal Hypophgsectomy - May, 2000
    Gamma Knife - July 2003
    then developed two Anyeurisms and had Anyerism Clippings in Nov., 2007.
    Unfortunately, now th as t I have clips in my head, nobody will run an MRI so now I have no way of monitoring the tumor growth since.
  53. AnellH, Dominican Republic
    I'm cured 01 Dec 2009 total pituitary removed.

From Cushings-Help.com Glossary:


Pituitary Adenomas
Several therapies are available to treat the ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas of Cushing's disease. The most widely used treatment is surgical removal of the tumor, known as transsphenoidal adenomectomy. Using a special microscope and very fine instruments, the surgeon approaches the pituitary gland through a nostril or an opening made below the upper lip. Because this is an extremely delicate procedure, patients are often referred to centers specializing in this type of surgery. The success, or cure, rate of this procedure is over 80 percent when performed by a surgeon with extensive experience. If surgery fails, or only produces a temporary cure, surgery can be repeated, often with good results. After curative pituitary surgery, the production of ACTH drops two levels below normal. This is a natural, but temporary, drop in ACTH production, and patients are given a synthetic form of cortisol (such as hydrocortisone or prednisone). Most patients can stop this replacement therapy in less than a year.

For patients in whom transsphenoidal surgery has failed or who are not suitable candidates for surgery, radiotherapy is another possible treatment. Radiation to the pituitary gland is given over a 6-week period, with improvement occurring in 40 to 50 percent of adults and up to 80 percent of children. It may take several months or years before patients feel better from radiation treatment alone. However, the combination of radiation and the drug mitotane (Lysodren®) can help speed recovery. Mitotane suppresses cortisol production and lowers plasma and urine hormone levels. Treatment with mitotane alone can be successful in 30 to 40 percent of patients. Other drugs used alone or in combination to control the production of excess cortisol are aminoglutethimide, metyrapone, trilostane and ketoconazole. Each has its own side effects that doctors consider when prescribing therapy for individual patients.

CSF, Cerebrospinal fluid leak: A more rare, although sometimes expected, result of surgery is drainage from the nose of a clear, watery liquid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is a normal fluid that surrounds the brain. Large pituitary tumors lean up against a membrane that separates this fluid space from the nose, and a CSF leak may occur if this membrane is absent or opened during surgery. The surgeon will generally recognize a CSF leak when it occurs and will "repair" the leak by placing a small amount of abdominal fat over the leak. The patient may awake from surgery and find that it was necessary for the surgeon to place a small tube in the lower back to allow CSF to drain into a bag and help the leak to seal. The tube is placed while the patient is still under anesthesia, and it is not painful while in place. The tube (about 3 millimeters in diameter) will remain in the lower back for 3-5 days and the patient will be kept in the hospital during this period. After the tube is removed (a painless, approximately 15-second procedure), the patient usually will be able to leave the hospital later the same day with the leak sealed. In most cases, CSF leakage does not occur and the patient may expect to go home 2 to 4 days after surgery.

BLA, Bilateral Adrenalectomy: Surgical removal of both the adrenal glands.

Gamma Knife: This is a more focused radiation treatment than conventional radiation, which reduces the risk of hypopituitarism. It provides a large dose of radiation to a tumor so that when the tumor cells divide, they die. As this method depends on the rate of cell division, symptoms may persist long after the radiation treatment.

Radiotherapy, preferably with stereotactic radiation, is effective in controlling tumor growth in the majority of patients who have residual tumor after surgery.

~~~~~~

MaryO'Note: Thanks for doing all this work, Melissa! You did a fantastic job and the numbers are really telling.

Since you said we could copy it, I'm going to put it on http://www.cushie.info if you don't mind.

If anyone on this list has a bio on the website, and you'd give your permission, I'd like to link your bio to your stats on this list.

Thanks!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Radiosurgery for pituitary adenomas: evaluation of its efficacy and safety

Object: To assess the effects of radiosurgery (RS) on the radiological and hormonal control and its toxicity in the treatment of pituitary adenomas.


Methods: Retrospective analysis of 42 patients out of the first 48 consecutive patients with pituitary adenomas treated with RS between 1999 and 2008 with a 6 months minimum follow-up. RS was delivered with Gamma Knife as a primary or adjuvant treatment.


There were 14 patients with non-secretory adenomas and, among functioning adenomas, 9 were prolactinomas, 9 were adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting and 10 were growth hormone-secreting tumors. Hormonal control was defined as hormonal response (decline of more than 50% from the pre-RS levels) and hormonal normalization.


Radiological control was defined as stasis or shrinkage of the tumor. Hypopituitarism and visual deficit were the morbidity outcomes.


Hypopituitarism was defined as the initiation of any hormone replacement therapy and visual deficit as loss of visual acuity or visual field after RS.


Results: The median follow-up was 42 months (6 -109 months). The median dose was 12,5 Gy (9 - 15 Gy) and 20 Gy (12 - 28 Gy) for non-secretory and secretory adenomas, respectively.


Tumor growth was controlled in 98% (41 in 42) of the cases and tumor shrinkage ocurred in 10% (4 in 42) of the cases. The 3-year actuarial rate of hormonal control and normalization were 62,4% and 37,6%, respectively, and the 5-year actuarial rate were 81,2% and 55,4%, respectively.


The median latency period for hormonal control and normalization was, respectively, 15 and 18 months. On univariate analysis, there were no relationships between median dose or tumoral volume and hormonal control or normalization.


There were no patients with visual deficit and 1 patient had hypopituitarism after RS.


Conclusions: RS is an effective and safe therapeutic option in the management of selected patients with pituitary adenomas. The short latency of the radiation response, the highly acceptable radiological and hormonal control and absence of complications at this early follow-up are consistent with literature.


Author: Douglas CastroSoraya CecilioMiguel Canteras
Credits/Source: Radiation Oncology 2010, 5:109

From: http://7thspace.com/headlines/364042/radiosurgery_for_pituitary_adenomas_evaluation_of_its_efficacy_and_safety.html

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Is it possible to avoid hypopituitarism after irradiation of pituitary adenomas by the Leksell gamma-knife?

Josef Marek, Jana Jezkova, Vaclav Hana, Michal Krsek, Lubomira Bandurova, Ladislav Pecen, Vilibald Vladyka and Roman Liscak

J Marek, 3 Dept. of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, 128 08, Czech Republic
J Jezkova, Third Dept. of Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, Praha 2, 12802, Czech Republic
V Hana, Third Dept. of Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic
M Krsek, Third Dept. of Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic
L Bandurova, Third Dept. of Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic
L Pecen, Institute of Informatics of the Czech Academy of Science, Praha, Czech Republic
V Vladyka, Dept. of Stereotactic and Radiation Neurosurgery, Hospital na Homolce, Praha, Czech Republic
R Liscak, Dept. of Stereotactic and Radiation Neurosurgery, Hospital na Homolce, Praha, Czech Republic

Correspondence: Jana Jezkova, Email: fjjezek@cmail.cz

Objective: Radiation therapy is one of the treatment options for pituitary adenomas. The most common side effect associated with Leksell gamma knife (LGK) irradiation is the development of hypopituitarism. The aim of this study was to verify that hypopituitarism does not develop if the maximum mean dose to pituitary is kept under 15 Gy and to evaluate the influence of maximum distal infundibulum dose on the development of hypopituitarism.

Design and methods: We followed the incidence of hypopituitarism in 85 patients irradiated with LGK in 1993-2003. The patients were divided in two subgroups: the first subgroup followed prospectively (45 patients), irradiated with a mean dose to pituitary < 15 Gy; the second subgroup followed retrospectively 1993-2001 and prospectively 2001- 2009 (40 patients), irradiated with a mean dose to pituitary > 15 Gy. Serum TSH, free thyroxine, testosterone or 17?–estradiol, IGF 1, prolactin and cortisol levels were evaluated before and every six months after LGN irradiation.

Results: Hypopituitarism after LGK irradiation developed only in one out of 45 (2.2%) patients irradiated with a mean dose to pituitary < 15 Gy, in contrast to 72.5% patients irradiated with a mean dose to pituitary >15 Gy. The radiation dose to the distal infundibulum was found as an independent factor of hypopituitarism with calculated maximum safe dose 17 Gy.

Conclusion: Keeping the mean radiation dose to pituitary under 15 Gy and the dose to the distal infundibulum under 17 Gy prevents the development of hypopituitarism following LGK irradiation.

 

From http://www.eje.org/cgi/content/abstract/EJE-10-0733v1

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Is Effective in Improving Remission Rates in Patients With Cushing's Disease

By Ann Saul


LIEGE, Belgium -- September 26, 2010 -- Leksell gamma knife radiosurgery is effective for the treatment of Cushing's disease, researchers said here on September 22 at the 14th Congress of the European Neuroendocrine Association (ENEA).

Typical first-line treatment for Cushing's disease is usually transsphenoidal surgery, and the rate of remission following the initial surgery is between 70% to 90% in patients with microadenomas and 50% to 60% in patients with macroadenomas.

However, recurrence of the disease happened in approximately 10% to 30% of patients. In those cases, one of the treatment options is stereotactic radiosurgery with Leksell gamma knife (LGK).

"Leksell gamma knife is an integral part of the treatment approach in Cushing's disease," said Jana Jezkova, MD, Department of Medicine, First Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. "LGK irradiation is used as a secondary treatment after surgery when a hormonally active residue is found or as a primary treatment in situations where surgery is contraindicated or is refused by the patient."

This study included 27 patients (24 females, 3 males) aged 16 to 65 years. They were followed for a mean period of 80.9 months (range, 24-168 months). Seventeen of the patients (63%) had previous neurosurgery, but none of them had conventional radiotherapy prior to LGK irradiation.

The target tumour volume for radiosurgery was between 13.4 to 2,700 mm3 with an average dose of 639.5 mm3 (median, 232 mm3). The central radiation dose range was 50 to 80 Gy, with an average dose of 68.3 Gy (media, 70 Gy). The minimal peripheral dose was 25 to 49 Gy, with an average dose of 37.2 Gy (median, 35 Gy). The dose for surrounding structures was 8 Gy for the edge of chiasma opticum and 14 Gy for the brainstem. The mean dose to the pituitary was 15 Gy.

Pituitary function was monitored at 6-month intervals post irradiation. The 3 criteria for hormonal normalisation included normalisation of 24-hour free urinary cortisol, suppressibility of plasma cortisol after an overnight dexamethasone (1 mg), and restitution of circadian variability of plasma cortisol levels.
At 1 year following treatment, 27 patients (25.9%) had achieved hormonal normalisation. After 3 years, 25 patients (36%) had achieved normalisation. Hormonal normalisation was achieved 5 years after LGK irradiation in 18 patients (66.7%) and 8 years later in 8 patients (75%).

The irradiation arrested the growth of all adenomas and caused the tumour to shrink in the majority of cases.

After 1 to 2 years, there was no change in 17.4% of tumours, a decrease in adenoma size in 69.7%, and disappearance of the adenoma in 13.0%. After 3 to 5 years, there was no change in only 13.3% of patients, 73.4% of adenomas had decreased, and 13.3% of adenomas had disappeared.

Three (11.1%) of the patients developed hypopituitarism within 12 to 72 months after LGK irradiation. However, hypopituitarism did not develop in patients who were irradiated with a mean dose to the pituitary of <15 Gy.

Until the effect of the irradiation is evident and the hormonal production halted, levels of excess hormones have to be suppressed pharmacologically. Keeping the mean radiation dose to the pituitary gland <15 Gy prevents the development of hypopituitarism, the researchers said.

[Presentation title: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Cushing's Disease. Abstract PC-118]

From http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852576140048867C852577AA0069717A?OpenDocument&id=48DDE4A73E09A969852568880078C249&c=Pituitary&count=10

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Pituitary Adenomas: Why, Who, and How to Treat?

Author: Frederic Castinetti

Specialty: Endocrinology
Institution: Department of Endocrinology, La Timone Hospital
Address: Marseille, France

Author: Thierry Brue

Specialty: Endocrinology
Institution: Department of Endocrinology, La Timone Hospital
Address: Marseille, France

Abstract: 

Abstract: Pituitary adenomas are benign tumors that can be either secreting (acromegaly, Cushing's disease, prolactinomas) or non-secreting. Transsphenoidal neurosurgery is the gold standard treatment; however, it is not always effective. Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a specific modality of stereotactic radiosurgery, a precise radiation technique. Several studies reported the efficacy and low risk of adverse effects induced by this technique: in secreting pituitary adenomas, hypersecretion is controlled in about 50% of cases and tumor volume is stabilized or decreased in 80-90% of cases, making Gamma Knife a valuable adjunctive or first-line treatment. As hormone levels decrease progressively, the main drawback is the longer time to remission (12-60 months), requiring an additional treatment during this period. Hypopituitarism is the main side effect, observed in 20-40% cases. Gamma Knife is thus useful in the therapeutic algorithms of pituitary adenomas in well-defined indications, mainly low secreting small lesions well identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Introduction

Pituitary adenomas are usually benign tumors that can be either secreting (growth hormone in acromegaly, adrenocorticotropin hormone in Cushing’s disease, prolactin in prolactinomas) (Biller et al., 2008; Chanson et al., 2009b; Klibanski, 2010) or non-secreting (in this latter case, adenomas are frequently responsible for local compression after several years of progressive volume increase) (Dekkers et al., 2008). Despite major advances in the treatment of pituitary adenomas, definite cure remains challenging. Transsphenoidal surgery, considered as the first line treatment, induces remission in 50-80% of cases, depending on the adenoma volume, its extension to peripheral structures, the neurosurgeon’s experience, and so on. Adjunctive treatments are thus necessary, but their efficacy and tolerance are less than satisfactory. For instance, somatostatin analogs generally lead to a 50-60% remission rate in acromegaly, but relapse is the rule after withdrawal (Chanson et al., 2009a); dopamine agonists lead to a 80-90% remission rate in prolactinomas, but are sometimes poorly tolerated (Casanueva et al., 2006). Fractionated radiotherapy, another possible adjunctive treatment, though highly effective, induces a high risk of hypopituitarism (Brada and Jankowska, 2008).

Stereotactic radiosurgery has been used for years in the treatment of secreting and non-secreting pituitary adenomas, either as a primary non-surgical or as an adjunctive post-surgical treatment (Castinetti et al., 2010). Stereotactic radiosurgery is characterized by a highly precise definition of the target. It can be delivered as a single fraction using a multi-headed cobalt unit (Gamma Knife) or a linear accelerator (LINAC), or as a fractionated procedure using linear accelerator (stereotactic conformal radiotherapy). Recent studies also reported the possibility of Cyberknife multi-session radiosurgery, but data on the efficacy and adverse effects of this technique in pituitary adenomas are preliminary (Castinetti et al., 2010). The majority of the studies published to date were based on Gamma Knife: we thus decided to focus only on this approach. Reports based on other stereotactic procedures, though infrequent, reported similar levels of efficacy and risks of adverse effects compared to Gamma Knife. This latter point should allow extending the conclusions of this review to the overall role of stereotactic radiosurgery in the management of pituitary adenomas.

What Is Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery is a radiation therapy technique using a source of 60Cobalt where narrow ionizing beams, given in a single high-dose fraction, are used either to destroy a predetermined target volume or to induce a desired biological effect in the target volume (in other words normalize or decrease the secretion of an over-secreted pituitary hormone) (Castinetti et al., 2010). The procedure is performed without opening the skull and with minimal damage to the surrounding brain. Sparing the critical structures around the target relies on the high conformity and anatomical selectivity of the dose delivery. In contrast with stereotactic radiosurgery, conventional radiotherapy covers the lesion and the surrounding structures with a fractionated dose; its aim is to minimize the injury of the surrounding structures included in the field of irradiation by the fractionation, creating a gradient of toxicity between target cells and normal tissue. The mechanism of both techniques is thus different, leading to complementary indications that will be detailed later in this review. To obtain optimal efficacy, Gamma Knife should thus be reserved to small well-defined lesions.

Who to Treat with Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Several studies have been published on the use of Gamma Knife in secreting and non-secreting pituitary adenomas. Recent reports gave more clues about the long-term efficacy in secreting pituitary adenomas, i.e., acromegaly, Cushing’s disease, and prolactinomas: in most series, remission, defined by normalized hormone secretion, was observed in about 30-50% of cases after a mean follow-up of 60-96 months (Castinetti et al., 2009; Hoybye et al., 2004; Jagannathan et al., 2008; Jagannathan et al., 2007; Jezkova et al., 2006; Kobayashi et al., 2002; Kobayashi et al., 2005; Losa et al., 2008; Pollock et al., 2008a; Pouratian et al., 2006; Ronchi et al., 2009; Vik-Mo et al., 2007). Anti-tumoral efficacy, in both secreting and non-secreting pituitary adenomas, was observed in more than 90% cases, with decrease or stabilization of the tumor volume (Castinetti et al., 2009; Hoybye and Rahn, 2009; Jagannathan et al., 2009; Jezkova et al., 2006; Minniti and Brada, 2007; Pollock et al., 2008b; Ronchi et al., 2009; Sheehan et al., 2005). These results clearly demonstrate the efficacy of the procedure which was reported either as a primary non-surgical or as an adjunctive post-surgical treatment.

The efficacy of the technique is highly correlated to the definition of the target, and according to some studies, to the target volume (Jagannathan et al., 2007; Pouratian et al., 2006) — as previously mentioned, Gamma Knife radiosurgery should be reserved to small well-defined lesions. Most of the studies did not report that target volume was a predictive factor of remission due to a bias of selection of patients (in the way that most of the patients treated by Gamma Knife present a small tumor volume). The less precise the target is, the higher the risk of adverse effects is, mainly hypopituitarism. Other positive predictive factors have been reported, including initial hormone levels and radiation dose (Castinetti et al., 2009; Jezkova et al., 2006; Pollock et al., 2008a) — but results are contradictory and do not allow to draw any firm conclusion. Previous studies also reported a so-called radioprotective effect of anti-secretory drugs given at the time of radiosurgery: for instance, patients treated by somatostatin agonists at the time of Gamma Knife were presumed to be less likely to achieve remission compared to patients without the treatment (Jagannathan et al., 2008; Jagannathan et al., 2007; Landolt et al., 2000; Landolt and Lomax, 2000; Pollock et al., 2007; Pouratian et al., 2006). The pathophysiological mechanism is unclear and results are also contradictory. As a consequence, to our knowledge, the best criterion to evaluate whether radiosurgery is the appropriate treatment is the level of definition of the target on MRI.

The main drawback of Gamma Knife is the delay to remission, and this has to be taken into account at the time of disease management decision. Due to the slow decrease of hormone levels, mean time to remission after radiosurgery is usually about 30-50 months in patients with acromegaly, and 15-30 months in patients with Cushing’s disease and prolactinomas (Castinetti et al., 2010). This delay to remission implies that Gamma Knife should either be used in patients with low secreting tumors, or in patients for whom an anti-secretory drug is at least partially effective. In this latter case, the drug should be given immediately after the procedure; regular withdrawal will allow to determine hormone levels without any anti-secretory drug, and to determine the need for maintaining the treatment (and also the efficacy of the radiosurgical procedure). In our studies, we observed that the time to remission was frequently correlated to the initial hormone levels without anti-secretory drugs (Castinetti et al., 2007; Castinetti et al., 2009; Castinetti et al., 2005). We thus think that a pre-radiosurgical evaluation of the level of hypersecretion should be performed without medical treatment. In our opinion, Gamma Knife should be reserved to tumors with a relatively low level of hypersecretion. Interestingly, the anti-tumoral effect is observed shortly after radiosurgery: in the majority of the studies, volume stabilization was reported during the first year after the procedure (Jagannathan et al., 2008; Jagannathan et al., 2007; Jezkova et al., 2006; Pamir et al., 2007; Pouratian et al., 2006). Of note, this does not justify the use of Gamma Knife radiosurgery in rapidly expanding lesions close to the optic chiasm; these lesions should still highly benefit from surgery if operable, or anti-secretory drugs as a first line treatment.

There is no major contra-indication to Gamma Knife radiosurgery. The focalized high dose delivered by radiosurgery was initially thought to be dangerous for the optical pathways; this involved the need for a minimal distance between the target volume and the chiasm and a dose to the chiasm not superior to 8 Gy. This risk seems low presently, taking into account new target definition methods and improvements in the accuracy of the radiosurgical procedure (Castinetti et al., 2010).

How to Follow Up the Patients Treated by Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

As mentioned previously, radiosurgery has a delayed maximal efficacy, requiring effective anti-secretory treatments during this latency period. MRI evaluation should be performed 3 months after the procedure, and then yearly. Some rare cases of immediate or delayed increase of the tumor volume have been reported, which justifies the need for a prolonged follow-up (Castinetti et al., 2010; Jagannathan et al., 2008; Jagannathan et al., 2007; Jezkova et al., 2006; Pouratian et al., 2006). Usually, hormone levels tend to decrease progressively to a stable level: withdrawal of anti-secretory drugs has to be performed regularly to assess the efficacy of the procedure, and, as a consequence, to determine the appropriate time for discontinuation of the drug. Interestingly, recent long-term follow-up studies reported a risk of late recurrence in patients treated for Cushing’s disease (Castinetti et al., 2009; Jagannathan et al., 2007). In our long-term study based on 76 patients, 2 out of 10 patients considered in remission of Cushing’s disease presented recurrence 6 and 8 years after Gamma Knife (Castinetti et al., 2009). This point emphasizes the need for a prolonged follow-up, particularly in patients with Cushing’s disease, even after long-term remission.

Radiation induced hypopituitarism is the most frequent side effect. It is usually reported in 10-30% of cases, depending on the dose to the target and the stalk, the visualization of the target, previous surgical or radiotherapy procedures, etc. (Castinetti et al., 2009; Jezkova et al., 2006; Minniti and Brada, 2007; Pollock et al., 2008b; Ronchi et al., 2009; Sheehan et al., 2005). These adverse effects have been reported as early as within a year after Gamma Knife, or much later, up to ten years after the procedure (Castinetti et al., 2009; Ronchi et al., 2009). Systematic pituitary hormone evaluations should thus be performed yearly in all patients. There is also a theoretical risk of optic neuritis, evaluated to be about 2% of cases in former published series. This risk currently seems to be lower due to more precise definition techniques, and improvement of the stereotactic procedure (Ove et al., 2000; Stafford et al., 2003; Tishler et al., 1993). Other side effects, described with long-term follow-up studies of fractionated radiotherapy for brain tumors, memory loss, and cerebro-vascular accidents, seem to be rare with Gamma Knife: it could either be because the technique is more precise and harmless for the surrounding tissues, or because the length of follow-up is too short to date to detect such adverse effects.

Why to Use Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Rather Than Fractionated Radiotherapy?

Efficacy of conventional radiotherapy in controlling hormone hypersecretion is estimated to be about 50-90% of cases, regardless of the type of secretion (Brada and Jankowska, 2008). Interestingly, to our knowledge, no recurrence has ever been reported after radiotherapy. Efficacy of radiosurgery is seemingly lower, particularly for Cushing’s disease, where a 50% rate of remission was reported, which might be further decreased by potential late recurrences (Castinetti et al., 2009; Jagannathan et al., 2008). In terms of anti-tumoral efficacy, results of conventional radiotherapy are comparable to those of Gamma Knife, with unchanged or decreased tumor volume in the majority of cases. However, conventional radiotherapy has two main drawbacks: the first one is the time to remission, equal to 5-10 years which is longer than that of Gamma Knife, requiring an effective medical treatment during this period. The second drawback of radiotherapy is the risk of side effects, including hypopituitarism (in more than 80% of cases), optic neuritis, radiation induced cerebral tumors, cerebral infraction, cognitive dysfunctions, etc. (Brada and Jankowska, 2008). These latter side effects occurred after a mean time of 10-20 years, and were not (at least not yet) described with the use of Gamma knife (Ayuk and Stewart, 2009; Borson-Chazot and Brue, 2006; Jenkins et al., 2006; Kong et al., 2007; Langsenlehner et al., 2007; Minniti et al., 2009; Snead et al., 2008).

Fractionated radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery should be considered as two different modalities to treat different types of tumors. We think that stereotactic radiosurgery should be reserved to small and well defined tumors, in contrast with conventional, fractionated radiotherapy for larger and/or imprecisely defined tumors. To minimize the risk of adverse effects, a discussion between the endocrinologist, the neurosurgeon, the radiotherapist, and the radiosurgery specialist is necessary to choose the most appropriate radiation therapy.

Conclusion

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (and more generally stereotactic radiosurgery) is an effective and safe technique for treating pituitary adenomas. It has a reasonable good anti-secretory and a high anti-tumoral efficacy, making it a valuable treatment in case of contra-indication or partial efficacy of transsphenoidal surgery. Due to its mechanism of action being based on a precise single high dose fraction, stereotactic radiosurgery should be reserved to small lesions well defined on imaging techniques. A regular follow-up is required after the procedure, and should take into account the risk of late recurrence, particularly in Cushing’s disease.

Compared to fractionated radiotherapy, the main advantages of stereotactic radiosurgery are the relative rapidity of the effects (with a shorter time to remission) and a theoretically lower risk of adverse effects (this latter point will have to be proven by studies with a more prolonged follow-up, identical to the ones reporting fractionated radiotherapy studies). However, as indications of both techniques are different, stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated radiotherapy should not be considered as mutually exclusive, but more as complementary ways to treat different kinds of pituitary adenomas.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. J. Regis and Prof. H. Dufour, Department of Functional neurosurgery and Department of Neurosurgery, La Timone Hospital, Marseille, France, for their support.

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[Discovery Medicine (Discov Med), Volume 10, Number 51, August 2010. Pre-published.]

From http://www.discoverymedicine.com/Frederic-Castinetti-2/2010/08/04/gamma-knife-radiosurgery-in-pituitary-adenomas-why-who-and-how-to-treat/

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Gamma-Knife Radiosurgery Is Promising for Patients With Pituitary Adenoma: Presented at AANS

By Liz Meszaros

PHILADELPHIA -- May 5, 2010 -- Gamma-knife radiosurgery may effectively achieve tumour control in patients who have recurrent residual pituitary adenoma, researchers stated here at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

"Radiosurgery is an excellent treatment option for patients with recurrent or residual pituitary tumours," noted investigator Jason P. Sheehan, MD, PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, speaking here on May 3. "It offers a high rate of tumour and endocrine control. As such, it allows most patients to avoid repeat open surgery or lifelong, expensive medical management."

Dr. Sheehan and colleagues conducted a single-centre retrospective study of the largest group of radiosurgery patients with a pituitary adenoma to date. In all, 418 patients who had undergone gamma-knife radiosurgery were followed for a minimum of 6 months (median 31 months). Factors related to endocrine remission, control of tumour growth, and development of pituitary deficiency were analysed.

Tumour control was achieved in 90.3% of patients, and higher radiation doses significantly resulted in tumour shrinkage. In patients with secretory pituitary adenoma, such as seen in Cushing's disease or acromegaly, median time to endocrine remission was 48.9 months.

Tumour-margin radiation dose was inversely correlated with time to achievement of endocrine remission (P < .05). Smaller adenoma size correlated with improved endocrine response in patients with secretory adenomas.

"Smaller tumour size improves the chances of endocrine control and lowers the risk of new pituitary hormone deficiency following stereotactic radiosurgery. A higher radiosurgical dose offers a greater chance of endocrine and tumour control," Dr. Sheehan noted.

New-onset pituitary hormone deficiency following surgery was seen in 24.4% of patients. There were no cases of panhypopituitarism, and 1 case of posterior pituitary insufficiency. Treatment with pituitary-hormone suppressive medication at the time of surgery was related to a loss of pituitary function (P < .05).

"Radiosurgery has become an increasingly important technique for the treatment of recurrent or residual pituitary adenomas. It affords effective growth control, hormonal normalisation, and an acceptable risk of delayed endocrinopathy," concluded Dr. Sheehan.

Dr. Sheehan was presented with the Synthes Skull Base Award for this research.

[Presentation title: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Pituitary Adenomas: Factors Related to Radiologic and Endocrine Outcomes in a Series of 400+ Patients.]

From http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/25387a.htm