title: Gamma knife surgery for pineal region tumors: an alternative strategy for negative pathology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pineal region tumors (PRTs) are uncommon, and treatments vary among neoplasm types. The authors report their experience with gamma knife surgery (GKS) as an initial treatment in a series of PRT patients with unclear pathological diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen PRT patients with negative pathology who underwent GKS were retrospectively studied. Nine patients had further whole-brain and spinal cord radiotherapy and chemotherapy 6-9 months after GKS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen of 17 cases were followed up over a mean of 33.3 months. The total response rate was 75%, and the control rate was 81.3%. No obvious neurological deficits or complications were attributable to GKS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that GKS may be an alternative strategy in selected PRT patients who have negative pathological diagnoses, and that good outcomes and quality of life can be obtained with few complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China;
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China;
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China;
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China;
authors.forename: Liang-Xue
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China;
authors.forename: Yan-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult