Page 38 - ARNM-2-2

Advances in Radiotherapy &

Nuclear Medicine

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Use of moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy

in craniopharyngioma

Can Azak * , Hasan Çamlıcalı 1 , Ebru Karakaya 1 , Koray Öztürk 2 ,
1
Ebru Atasever Akkaş 1 , Fatma Alioğlu 1 , Muzaffer Bedri Altundağ 1 , and
Yıldız Güney 3
1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and
Research Hospital, Health Science University, Ankara, Türkiye
2 Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Ankara Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye

Abstract

External beam radiation therapy is used for inoperable, residual, or recurrent
disease after surgery for craniopharyngioma. At present, conventional radiotherapy,
hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT), and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are
available options. However, there are limited data on HFRT and SRT using modern
radiotherapy (RT) devices. This paper presents the findings of a retrospective study
conducted at a single institution based on our long-term experiences with eight
craniopharyngioma patients who had underwent RT. The median time between the
operation and RT was 8.5 months (ranging from 2.6 to 11 months). Six patients were
treated with CyberKnife (CK ), and two were treated with Tomotherapy (HT ) using
®
®
®
®
the helical intensity-modulated RT technique (H-IMRT). Patients treated with HT
*Corresponding author: received a mean of 50 and 55 Gy RT in 25 and 30 fractions (conventional RT scheme),
Can Azak respectively. Out of the six patients treated with CK, three received a mean of 22
(can.azak@sbu.edu.tr) – 25 Gy in five fractions, and the other three received a mean of 40 – 42 Gy in 15
Citation: Azak C, Çamlıcalı H, fractions. The median follow-up was 6 years (range: 2 – 9.1 years), and no progression
Karakaya E, et al. Use of moderate was observed. The 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS)
hypofractionated radiotherapy in rates were 85.7% and 85.7%, respectively. OS and PFS at 5 years were likewise 85.7%
craniopharyngioma. Adv Radiother
Nucl Med. 2024;2(2):3041. and 85.7%, respectively. Of the two patients (25%) who were alive with a complete
doi: 10.36922/arnm.3041 response, one received 50 Gy in 25 fractions with H-IMRT, and the other received RT
Received: February 28, 2024 through CyberKnife with five fractions. Five patients (62.5%) were alive with stable
residual disease and one patient had died with a complete response. HFRT may be
Accepted: May 27, 2024
considered as a preferable option in the treatment of craniopharyngioma, in addition
Published Online: June 13, 2024 to conventional or SBRT treatment options.
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Craniopharyngioma; Hypofractionated radiotherapy; Stereotactic radiation
Creative Commons Attribution therapy
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Craniopharyngioma (CP) is a rare benign tumor that arises from Rathke’s pouch or
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional the primitive craniopharyngeal duct. One to three percentages of adult brain tumors
1
affiliations. and 5% to 10% of childhood brain tumors are craniopharyngiomas. The incidence of

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/arnm.3041