title: Benign meningiomas: primary treatment selection affects survival.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of primary treatment selection on outcomes for benign intracranial meningiomas at the University of Florida.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 262 patients, the impact of age, Karnofsky performance status, pathologic features, tumor size, tumor location, and treatment modality on local control and cause-specific survival was analyzed (minimum potential follow-up, 2 years; median follow-up, 8.2 years). Extent of surgery was classified by Simpson grade. Treatment groups: surgery alone (n = 229), surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (RT) (n = 21), RT alone (n = 7), radiosurgery alone (n = 5). Survival analysis: Kaplan-Meier method with univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 15 years, local control was 76% after total excision (TE) and 87% after subtotal excision plus RT (SE+RT), both significantly better (p = 0.0001) than after SE alone (30%). Cause-specific survival at 15 years was reduced after treatment with SE alone (51%), compared with TE (88%) or SE+RT (86%) (p = 0.0003). Recurrence after primary treatment portended decreased survival, independent of initial treatment group or salvage treatment selection (p = 0.001). Atypical pathologic features predicted reduced 15-year local control (54 vs. 71%) and cause-specific survival rates (57 vs. 86%). Multivariate analysis for cause-specific survival revealed treatment group (SE vs. others; p = 0.0001), pathologic features (atypical vs. typical;p = 0.0056), and Karnofsky performance status (> or = 80 vs. < 80; p = 0.0153) as significant variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Benign meningiomas are well managed by TE or SE+RT. SE alone is inadequate therapy and adversely affects cause-specific survival. Atypical pathologic features predict a poorer outcome, suggesting possible benefit from more aggressive treatment. Because local recurrence portends lower survival rates, primary treatment choice is important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Condra
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Buatti
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rhoton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016634:Radiosurgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies