title: High symptom improvement and local tumor control using stereotactic radiotherapy when given early after diagnosis of meningioma. A multicentre study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the present study was to analyze long-term results of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) in patients with a meningioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 patients treated between 1996 and 2008 in MAASTRO clinic (n = 45) and University Hospital Zurich (n = 27) were included. SRT was given as primary treatment (n = 46), postoperatively (n = 19) or at recurrence (n = 7); 49 tumours (68%) were located in the skull base. Median total dose was 54 Gy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 4.13 years (range 0.66-11 years). The 3- and 5-year overall survival were 92 and 79% for grade 0 and I meningioma. Progression-free survival for grade 0 and I was 95% at 3 and 5 years, and 40% for grade II and III at 3 years. In 98.4% of patients, clinical symptoms were stable or improved. The majority of symptoms improved within 24 months after SRT. Local control is significantly better if patients are irradiated immediately after diagnosis compared to a watchful waiting policy (p = 0.017). Grade IV toxicity was low (4.2%, n = 3)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SRT is an effective treatment with high local and clinical control. Early SRT resulted in better outcome than late treatment at progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation-Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW (School for Oncology &Developmental Biology), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Compter
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zaugg
authors.forename: R M A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: J T A
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Dings
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosmans
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buescher
authors.forename: M M H M E
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Anten
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Baumert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome