title: Clinical results of proton beam therapy for skull base chordoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical results of proton beam therapy for patients with skull base chordoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen patients with skull base chordoma who were treated with proton beams with or without X-rays at the University of Tsukuba between 1989 and 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. A median total tumor dose of 72.0 Gy (range, 63.0-95.0 Gy) was delivered. The patients were followed for a median period of 69.3 months (range, 14.6-123.4 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year local control rate was 46.0%. Cause-specific, overall, and disease-free survival rates at 5 years were 72.2%, 66.7%, and 42.2%, respectively. The local control rate was higher, without statistical significance, for those with preoperative tumors <30 mL. Partial or subtotal tumor removal did not yield better local control rates than for patients who underwent biopsy only as the latest surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proton beam therapy is effective for patients with skull base chordoma, especially for those with small tumors. For a patient with a tumor of <30 mL with no prior treatment, biopsy without tumor removal seems to be appropriate before proton beam therapy.
authors.affiliation: Proton Medical Research Center, University Hospital, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. igaki-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Igaki
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokuuye
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugahara
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagei
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuboi
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002817:Chordoma / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons