Endocrine Abstracts

Fractionated radiotherapy (RT) is effective in achieving disease control and normalisation of hormone levels. While overall safe, it is not devoid of side effects and should only be employed when the risks from the disease are considered to outweigh the risks from treatment. Currently RT tends to be withheld until progression unless there is a threat to function, particularly vision, from progressive tumour. RT is recommended for patients with secreting adenoma not achieving b...

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There have been enormous advances in the medical and surgical management of pituitary tumours in recent years. Stereotactic radiotherapy has also allowed the use of more focused fractionated radiotherapy in the hope of minimising bystander damage and the long term sequelae of radiotherapy to the surrounding normal brain tissue.With these advances, the number of patients requiring salvage treatment of any kind is reducing, and concerns persist about the l...

Contemporary management of pituitary tumours is based on a multidisciplinary approach involving surgery, radiotherapy (RT) and medical therapy. External beam RT significantly reduces the likelihood of tumour re-growth following surgery for non-functioning pituitary adenomas and suppresses hypersecretion in hormonally-active tumours. However, over the years, a number of potentially significant complications of pituitary RT have been described.Radiation ma...