Tag: Proton beam

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Factors Predicting Recurrence After Resection of Clival Chordoma

Clivus chordomas

Neurosurgery 76:179–186, 2015

Clival chordomas frequently recur because of their location and invasiveness.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical, operative, and anatomic factors associated with clival chordoma recurrence.

METHODS: Retrospective review of clival chordomas treated at our center from 1993 to 2013.

RESULTS: Fifty patients (56% male) with median age of 59 years (range, 8-76) were newly diagnosed with clival chordoma of mean diameter 3.3 cm (range, 1.5-6.7). Symptoms included headaches (38%), diplopia (36%), and dysphagia (14%). Procedures included transsphenoidal (n = 34), transoral (n = 4), craniotomy (n = 5), and staged approaches (n = 7). Gross total resection (GTR) rate was 52%, with 83%mean volumetric reduction, values that improved over time.While the lower third of the clivus was the least likely superoinferior zone to contain tumor (upper third = 72%/middle third = 82%/lower third = 42%), it most frequently contained residual tumor (upper third = 33%/middle third = 38%/lower third = 63%; P , .05). Symptom improvement rates were 61% (diplopia) and 53% (headache). Postoperative radiation included proton beam (n = 19), cyberknife (n = 7), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (n = 6), external beam (n = 10), and none (n = 4). At last follow-up of 47 patients, 23 (49%) remain disease-free or have stable residual tumor. Lower third of clivus progressed most after GTR (upper/mid/lower third = 32%/ 41%/75%). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, male gender (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.2/P = .03), subtotal resection (HR = 5.0/P = .02), and the preoperative presence of tumor in the middle third (HR = 1.2/P = .02) and lower third (HR = 1.8/P = .02) of the clivus increased further growth or regrowth, while radiation modality did not.

CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore long-standing support for GTR as reducing chordoma recurrence. The lower third of the clivus frequently harbored residual or recurrent tumor, despite staged approaches providing mediolateral (transcranial 1 endonasal) or superoinferior (endonasal 1 transoral) breadth. There was no benefit of proton-based over photonbased radiation, contradicting conventional presumptions.

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Endoscopic endonasal approach in the management of skull base chordomas

Endoscopic approach skull base chordomas

Neurosurg Rev (2014) 37:217–225

Skull base chordomas represent very interesting neoplasms, due to their rarity, biological behavior, and resistance to treatment. Their management is very challenging. Recently, the use of a natural corridor, through the nose and the sphenoid sinus, improved morbidity and mortality allowing also for excellent removal rates.

Prospective analysis of 54 patients harboring a skull base chordoma that were managed by extended endonasal endoscopic approach (EEA). Among the 54 patients treated (during a 72 months period), 21 were women and 33 men, undergoing 58 procedures. Twenty-two cases (40 %) were recurrent and 32 (60 %) newly diagnosed chordomas. Among the 32 newly diagnosed chordomas, a gross total resection was achieved in 28 cases (88%), a near total (>95%of tumor) in 2 cases (6%), a partial (>50 % of tumor) in 2 cases (6 %). Among the 22 recurrent chordomas, resection was complete in 7 cases (30 %), near total in 7 (30%), and partial in 8 (40 %). The global gross total resection rate was 65 % (35/54 cases). Four patients (11 %) recurred and 4 (11 %) progressed within a mean follow-up of 34 months (range 12–84 months). Four patients (11 %) were re-operated; one patient (1.8 %) died due to disease progression, one patient (1.8 %) died 2 weeks after surgery due to a massive bleeding from an ICA pseudo aneurysm. CSF leakage occurred in four patients (8 %), and meningitis in eight cases (14 %). No new permanent neurological deficit occurred.

The EEA management of skull base chordomas requires a long and gradual learning curve that once acquired offers the possibility of either similar or better resection rates as compared to traditional approaches while morbidity is improved.

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