Stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy in complex treatment of patients with intracranial pilocytic astrocytomas

Abstract

The paper reports the analysis of the stereotactic irradiation outcomes in 430 patients with pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs), who underwent treatment in 2005–2018. The comprehensive approach to treatment of patients with intracranial pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) that includes surgical removal, drug therapy (mostly in young children) and radiation therapy, is justified. The paper defines the roles of stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy as the methods of choice used in the radiation therapy of patients with pilocytic astrocytomas. These methods show high conformity and selectivity, which is of special importance in patients with the PA localization in the functionally important structures.

Keywords

• stereotactic irradiation
• radiosurgery
• pilocytic astrocytoma
• low grade gliomas
• pseudoprogression