[Radiation therapy in the treatment of intraspinal gliomas (author's transl)]

Between 1943 and 1977, 23 patients with intraspinal primary tumors received radiotherapy in our clinic, 4 of 7 patients with ependymoma are alive. Of 10 patients with astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma, 4 are dead with tumor, 2 are alive with signs of progressive disease, 3 are alive without disease and 1 patient was lost from follow-up. Of 7 patients with other tumors - in some cases without histologic verification - only 2 are alive without disease. Radical resection of intraspinal gliomas is the tratment of choice, and radiotherapy is reserved for inoperable or subtotally resected tumors. The recommended tumor dose is 4500 to 5500 rd with the usual fractionation, depending on the localization and field length. The survival rates after 10 years and more are about 40% in patients with astrocytoma, 605 in patients with ependymomas of the cord proper and more than 905 in patients with ependymomas of the cauda equina.