To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Radiosurgery Extends Survival For Brain Cancer Patients URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/3D42E.htm Doctor's Guide October 8, 1997
PITTSBURGH, PA. -- October 8, 1997 -- Stereotactic radiosurgery, in which tumors are treated with intensely-focused gamma radiation, significantly extended the lives of patients with malignant brain tumors, according to a study by neurosurgeons at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health System. The study, published in the October issue of the journal Neurosurgery, looked at 107 patients who had either glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytomas, both malignant and often fatal brain tumors. "These tumors are associated with poor outcome," explained to Douglas Kondziolka, M.D., associate professor of neurological surgery and radiation oncology and principal author of the study. "Most patients eventually die within 12 to 24 months of diagnosis as a result of disease progression. The tumors invade the brain and cause progressive neurologic symptoms such as paralysis, mental changes, headaches and seizures." Patients were treated with gamma knife radiosurgery either as part of their planned group of primary treatments or after other treatments failed. The gamma knife delivers a focused amount of radiation in a single treatment session. Treated tumours were generally one and one-half inches in diameter or less. Patients are usually in the hospital only one day. "Survival was prolonged significantly when compared with expected survival after standard radiation therapy," Dr. Kondziolka said. For glioblastoma patients, median survival from diagnosis was 26 months and 16 months after gamma knife radiosurgery, almost doubling survival in this group of selected patients. For anaplastic astrocytoma patients, median survival was 32 months compared to expected survival of 16 to 18 months. "No single treatment works for all patients," Dr. Kondziolka said. "This is a very exciting development in the management of one of the most challenging forms of brain cancer." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.