title: Outcome of radiotherapy for pituitary adenomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the outcome and toxicities and its correlation to patient related and treatment related factors.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Pituitary adenomas are treated by radiation therapy (RT) as one of the modalities along with surgery and medical therapy. RT to pituitary adenomas is a challenge due to adjacent dose limiting structures such as optic apparatus and hypothalamus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2004 and December 2010, 94 patients treated for pituitary adenoma with RT who had hospital records of a minimum follow-up of 1 year were included in the analysis. Tests of correlation were done with regards to treatment factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Male preponderance was noted in our patient population. Nonfunctioning and functioning tumors were equal in number in this series. Hypopituitarism was associated in 58.5% of patients prior to RT. Radiological tumor progression was seen in one patient (1/94) who had a nonfunctioning tumor. Among functioning tumors, biochemical remission was seen in 93.6% of patients at a median follow-up of 6 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual complication was seen in 5.3% of patients and worsening or new onset hypopituitarism was seen in 6.4%. Conventional 3-field technique was associated with significantly more visual complication compared to Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT) technique. Doses ≤50.4 Gy showed a trend of reduced rate of visual and endocrine complications with no compromise in efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sebastian
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Bijesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Subhashini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: John
keywords: 3DCRT, 3 dimensional conformal radiotherapy; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone; CR, complete response; CT, computerized tomography; Complications; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; FSRT, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy; GH, growth hormone; GTC, Gill Thomas Cosman; Gy, Gray; Hypopituitarism; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; MV, megavoltage; PR, partial response; Pituitary; RT, radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; SD, stable disease; SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; SRS, stereotactic radiosurgery; SRT, stereotactic radiotherapy; Visual; cGy, centiGray