Long-term results of stereotactic brachytherapy (temporary 125iodine seeds)‎ for the treatment of low-grade astrocytoma (grade ii)‎

Abstract EN

Background : treatment of low-grade astrocytoma (WHO grade II) (LGA II) remains a challenge.

There is limited information regarding the long-term effects of stereotactic brachytherapy (SBT) (temporary 125Iodine seeds) on patients with LGA II.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate disease control and survival after stereotactic brachytherapy in patients with circumscribed and relatively small size tumors.

Materials and Methods : A retrospective review of 29 patients, treated between 1991 and 2011, was conducted to evaluate survival, complications, and local disease control after stereotactic brachytherapy.

They belonged to a larger group of 48 cases with low-grade gliomas, treated with stereotactic brachytherapy.

The demographic and clinical characteristics in patients including age, sex, and survival time were extracted from records.

Results : thirteen patients were male and 16 were female, with the median age of 29 years (range, 2.5 – 64 years).

The median follow-up was (95 range, 6–240) months.

Based on Pignatti classification, 10 patients were at low- and 19 patients at high-risk.

The median overall as well as progression-free survivals for patients were 135 months (95 % confidence interval : 76–194) and 96 months (95 % confidence interval : 1–199) respectively.

Five- and 10-year progression free survivals were 41.4 % and 34.5 %, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year overall survivals were 65.5 % and 44.8 %, respectively.

Progression-free survival was not significantly higher in smaller size tumors (P = 0.224), nor for spherical versus no spherical tumors (P = 0.307).

There was no treatment-related morbidity after stereotactic brachytherapy, and no radiogenic complications occurred during the follow-up period.

Mortality due to tumor progression occurred in 4 patients (14 %), and 11 patients were alive at the last follow-up.

Conclusions : the stereotactic brachytherapy for patients with circumscribed and relatively small size tumors appears to be a safe, feasible, and minimally-invasive treatment.