Efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery for radiation-induced meningiomas

Stereotactic radiosurgery is an established treatment option for sporadic meningiomas, though limited data exists for radiation-induced lesions.

Patients treated with cobalt-60 radiosurgery between October 2005 and December 2018 in an institutional registry were reviewed. Single fraction treatments were prescribed to the 50% isodose line. Lesions were deemed to be radiation-induced according to standard criteria previously established by Cahan et al.

A total of 37 patients with 72 lesions were analysed. Median follow up per patient was 44 months (range, 1.4–150.7 months). Median age at initial radiotherapy was 5 years (4 months–48 years), and at radiosurgery was 38 years. Of the 72 lesions, 62 were grade 1 (n = 4) or radiologically-diagnosed (n = 58), six were grade 2 and four were grade 3. Median lesion volume was 2.13 cc (0.04–13.8 cc), while the median radiosurgery margin dose was 13 Gy. Local control, on a per lesion basis, was 88.6% at 5 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 72.3–95.6). For grade 1 or radiologically-diagnosed lesions, local control was 96.6% at 5 years (95% CI 77.9–99.5), whereas those with grade 2 or higher lesions had a local control of 40% at 5 years (95% CI 5.2–75.3, p = 0.005). Radiologic oedema developed in 17 lesions (23.6%) and was symptomatic in 12 patients (16.7%). Doses above 12 Gy were not associated with local control probability (p = 0.292).

Radiosurgery is an effective treatment option for grade 1 or radiologically-diagnosed radiation-induced meningiomas, with 12 Gy appearing to be a sufficient dose.