Radiation therapy in pituitary adenoma: Analysis of 386 cases

We reviewed 386 cases, dividing into two groups, of pituitary adenoma treated from January 1963 to January 1986. Cases in group A were treated before April 1980 and mostly diagnosed by pneumoencephalography or cerebral angiography, and the tumors were removed by conventional operation. For group B cases, diagnoses were established by GT scan and endocrintic tests and the tumors were removed by microsurgery. All patients were followed for 2-23 years, efficiency rate being 90.7% in group A, 94% in group B. Both groups showed better results in patients treated by surgery combined with postoperative irradiation. The recurrence in cases treated with radiation or surgery alone is higher. We think that the optimal treatment for pituitary adenoma is surgery combined with radiothetapy, which is promising to improve the long-term result and to decrease the rate of recurrence. The progress of CT scan and microsurgery also affords advantages to the treatment of pituitary adendma.
The indications for radiotherapy of pituitary adenoma, optimal dosage and complications are discussed and some suggestions about the improvement of radiotherapeutic technique are given.