Gamma Knife surgery for intracranial chordoma and chondrosarcoma: radiosurgical perspectives and treatment outcomes

Abstract

ObjectIntracranial chordomas and chondrosarcomas are histologically low-grade, locally invasive tumors that are reported to be similar in terms of anatomical location, clinical presentation, and radiological findings but different in terms of behavior and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare clinical outcomes after Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for the treatment of intracranial chordoma and chondrosarcoma.MethodsThe authors conducted a retrospective review of the results of radiosurgical treatment of intracranial chordomas and chondrosarcomas. They enrolled patients who had undergone GKS for intracranial chordoma or chondrosarcoma at the Yonsei Gamma Knife Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, from October 2000 through June 2007. Analyses included only patients for whom the disease was pathologically diagnosed before GKS and for whom more than 5 years of follow-up data after GKS were available. Rates of progression-free survival and overall survival were analyzed and compared according to tumor pathology. Moreover, the association between tumor control and the margin radiation dose to the tumor was analyzed, and the rate of tumor volume change after GKS was quantified.ResultsA total of 10 patients were enrolled in this study. Of these, 5 patients underwent a total of 8 sessions of GKS for chordoma, and the other 5 patients underwent a total of 7 sessions of GKS for chondrosarcoma. The 2- and 5-year progression-free survival rates for patients in the chordoma group were 70% and 35%, respectively, and rates for patients in the chondrosarcoma group were 100% and 80%, respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.04). The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates after GKS for patients in the chordoma group were 87.5% and 72.9%, respectively, and rates for patients in the chondrosarcoma group were 100% and 100%, respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.03). The mean rates of tumor volume change 2 years after radiosurgery were 79.64% and 39.91% for chordoma and chondrosarcoma, respectively (p = 0.05). No tumor progression was observed when margin doses greater than 16 Gy for chordoma and 14 Gy for chondrosarcoma were prescribed.ConclusionsOutcomes after GKS were more favorable for patients with chondrosarcoma than for those with chordoma. The data also indicated that at 2 years after GKS, the rate of volume change is significantly higher for chordomas than for chondrosarcomas. The authors conclude that radiosurgery with a margin dose of more than 16 Gy for chordomas and more than 14 Gy for chondrosarcomas seems to enhance local tumor control with relatively few complications. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal dose of GKS for patients with intracranial chordoma or chondrosarcoma.