Gamma knife radiosurgery for cavernous sinus metastases and invasion.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated the efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery for cavernous sinus metastases and invasion.


METHODS
We treated and followed up 21 patients with cavernous sinus metastases and invasion using gamma knife radiosurgery. Nine of these patients had nasopharyngeal cancer, and 12 had distant metastases from other cancers. The volume of tumors ranged from 2.9 to 50.0 (median 9.9) mL. and the radiation dose to the tumor margin was 10 to 21 (median 14) Gy.


RESULTS
The median follow-up period was 9 months. Clinical symptoms were improved in 48% of the patients after treatment, and tumor growth control was obtained in 67% of the patients at their final follow-up. The actual 1- and 2-year tumor growth control rates were 68% and 43%, respectively. The mean survival time was 13 months. No patient had radiation injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Gamma knife radiosurgery is a very useful therapeutic option for the treatment of cavernous sinus metastases and invasion, either as initial treatment or as an adjunct treatment for recurrences even in preirradiated patients.
Iwai
Yoshiyasu
Y
Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka City General Hospital, Osaka 534-0021, Japan. y-iwai@rc5.so-net.ne.jp
Yamanaka
Kazuhiro
K
Yoshimura
Masaki
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002426:Cavernous Sinus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D019292:Skull Base Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*