Table 4.
Summary of efficacy and side effects of radiation therapy methods in patients with prolactinomas
| RT Type | No of studies | Patients | Margin dose (Gy), median | Follow-up (median, months) | Tumor control (%) | Biochemical control (%) | New Hypopituitarism (%) | Visual defects (%) | Brain radionecrosis (%) | Second brain tumor (%) |
| SRS type: GK | 15 | 588 | 25.4 | 52.4 | 93.7 | 32.6 (18-83) | 13.8 (0-42) | 1 (0-9.1) | 0 | 0 |
| LINAC | 2 | 26 | 20 | 64 | 100 | 7.7 (0-15.4) | 18.3 at 5y | 0 | 2.8# | 0 |
| Protons | 2 | 29 | 20* | 60** | 98 | 48.2 (22-60) | 30 – 57 | 1* | 1* | NA |
| CRT | 11 | 250 | 45-50 | 3 – 13 y | 96^ | 34.1 (40 at 10y) | 35^ at 10y | NA | NA | NA |
| FSRT | 2 | 34 | 45 | 3-4 | NA | 25 - 36 | 20-28.5^ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legend. The results are expressed in weighted means calculated from the published studies; SRS = stereotactic radiosurgery; CRT = conventional fractionated radiotherapy; FSRT = fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy; GK = gamma knife radiosurgery; LINAC = linear accelerator radiosurgery; y = years, # in a series with 175 various tumors; * in 20 patients the reported dose was 50 – 150 Gy in 4 fractions, in a cohort of 475 patients with various tumors (127); ** 20 patients had ≥ 1 year follow-up (127);^ in series with various pituitary tumors.