The usefulness of radiotherapy in the management of intracranial meningioma: a review of 29 patients

• Published in: Nihon Igaku Hoshasen Gakkai zasshi. Nippon acta radiologica Vol. 57; no. 3; p. 114
• Main Authors: Monzen, Y, Yoshimatsu, H, Nagayoshi, K, Kimura, S, Kiya, K, Fukuhara, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01.02.1997
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Brain Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Female; Humans; Male; Meningioma - pathology; Meningioma - radiotherapy; Middle Aged; Radiotherapy, High-Energy
• ISSN: 0048-0428

Twenty-nine patients with intracranial meningiomas were treated with a high-energy linear accelerator (4-10 MV. X rays and electron beams) between 1980 and 1992 at the Hiroshima Prefectural Hiroshima Hospital. We investigated the relationships between tumor size and tumor response, histological type and tumor response, and grade of operation using Simpson's classification and recurrence rate. Meningiomas were greatly reduced between 1 month and 46 months after radiotherapy, the average being 14 months. In the group with a tumor size of less than 5 cm2, 3 patients obtained CR, 5 patients NC and 1 patient PD. Tumor response was 89% in the group with a combination of CR with NC. In the group with a tumor size of 5 to 20 cm2, 2 patients obtained PR, 1 patient NC and 1 patient PD. Tumor response was 75% in the group with a combination of PR with NC. In the group with a tumor size of more than 20 cm2, 3 patients showed NC, 3 patients PD. Tumor response was 50% in the group with NC. In the group with a tumor size of less than 20 cm2, tumor response was 85%. In the group with a tumor size of more than 20 cm2, it was 50%. Though there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups, a tumor size of less than 20 cm2 had a tendency to be more responsive than one of more than 20 cm2. The response of meningioma of the transitional type was worse than that of the meningothelial type and fibroblastic type. Fourteen patients after Simpson grade II or III operation were free of recurrence. The results of this study support the role of radiotherapy for meningioma which is less than 20 cm2, and also for treatment after Simpson grade II or III operation.