Radiotherapy in the management of temporal bone chemodectoma

Forty patients with 42 temporal bone chemodectomas were treated with radiotherapy alone (37 tumors) or subtotal resection and irradiation (5 tumors) at the University of Florida between 1968 and 1992. Thirty-three lesions were previously untreated, whereas 9 had undergone prior treatment (surgery, 6 lesions; radiotherapy, 1 lesion; or both, 2 lesions) and were treated for locally recurrent disease. All 3 patients who received prior radiotherapy had been treated at other institutions. Patients had minimum follow-up times as follows: 2 years, 40 patients (100%); 5 years, 31 patients (78%); 10 years, 21 patients (53%); 15 years, 16 patients (40%); 20 years, 9 patients (23%); and 25 years, 2 patients (5%). The local control rate at 20 years, calculated by the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method for the overall group of 42 lesions, was 89%. The likelihood of cause-specific survival at 20 years was 94%. The incidence of treatment-related complications was acceptable. We conclude that irradiation offers a high probability of tumor control with relatively minimal risks for patients with chemodectomas of the temporal bone.