Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term outcome after radiation therapy (RT) for skull base or head-and-neck chemodectomas.
Methods: We treated 39 patients with chemodectomas with RT. Patients were treated with either single dose stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), depending on the size and anatomy of the lesion. At primary diagnosis, 16 patients were treated with surgical resection (41%), 4 with interventional embolization (10%), and 19 with primary RT (49%). Single doses of 18 Gy/80% isodose were applied. For fractionated treatments delivered as primary RT, a median total dose of 57.6 Gy was delivered. Five patients were treated with re-irradiation, of which 4 were treated with fractionated regimens; total dose was 28.8 Gy, 30 Gy, 40 Gy, and 56 Gy in 1.8 to 2 Gy single fractions.
Results: Clinical symptoms improved in 18 patients (46%), remained unchanged in 10 patients (26%), and worsening of sequelae was observed in only 1 patient, which was associated with tumor progression. Actuarial local control was 97% at 10 years. Overall survival was 89% at 5 years and 87% at 10 years. Deaths were not disease-related except in 3 patients with tumor progression. No secondary malignancies were observed.
Conclusion: RT has been established as a treatment alternative for patients with glomus tumors. Long-term local control is very high, with good clinical response to treatment.
Keywords: chemodectomas; cranial nerve deficits; glomus tumors; local control; radiotherapy.
Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.