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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery
Published on: July 5, 2021
Adjuvant radiotherapy for atypical meningiomas is associated with improved progression free survival
Ansley Unterberger1, Edwin Ng2, Anjali Pradhan1
1Departments of Neurosurgery, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Purpose:
To assess the progression-free survival benefits of adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) following surgical resection compared to surgery alone in high-grade meningioma patients.
Methods:
We retrospectively identified 43 patients with atypical meningiomas, who underwent either radiotherapy post-surgical resection (Surgery+ART) or surgery alone (Surgery alone) at our institution between February 2007 to March 2019. GTR was achieved in 28 patients, and STR, in 11. Patient, meningioma, and treatment data were extracted from records and compared using Kaplan-Meier methodology, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazard models. Radiation complications were also evaluated.
Results:
Overall 32.6% (n = 14) of patients, 6 patients in the Surgery+ART group and 8 in the Surgery alone group, experienced recurrence. In the Surgery+ART group, the median PFS time was 46.5 months (CI: [35.8-50.6]), compared to 24.5 months (CI: [18.3-32.9]) in the Surgery alone group. 2-year PFS for Surgery+ART was 100% vs. 69.0% for Surgery alone, and the 5-year PFS rate was 70.6% and 39.2%, respectively (log-rank p-value = .004).
Conclusions:
Our data revealed a significant PFS increase for those treated with adjuvant radiotherapy following surgery compared to surgery alone. Future prospective studies evaluating differing radiation modalities and dosages should be conducted.
