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Contemporary radiotherapy and radiosurgery techniques for refractory pituitary adenomas

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Abstract

The pituitary gland is a potential site for a range of pathologies, for which treatment can involve resection and/or ionizing radiation. Modern stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) involves highly conformal radiation, allowing for the delivery of high doses to the tumor while simultaneously sparing nearby healthy structures. SRS has become a standard treatment option for residual or recurrent pituitary adenomas. It has been used for both functioning and nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas, with reported local tumor control over 90% and moderate rates of endocrine remission in functioning adenomas. We aim to briefly review the existing indictions and supporting literature for the use of SRS for refractory adenomas.

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Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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ROK drafted the initial version of the manuscript, which was then edited by ROK and JPS. All authors subsequently reviewed and edited the document. All authors have read the final version of the manuscript and are in agreement with the submission.

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Correspondence to Jason P. Sheehan.

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The manuscript was written using best ethical and research practices.

Competing interests

Dr. Kowalchuk reports that his spouse is employed by GE Healthcare. There are no other relevant conflicts of interest to disclose. Dr. Brown is a contributor to UpToDate (honorarium) outside submitted work.

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Kowalchuk, R.O., Trifiletti, D.M., Brown, P.D. et al. Contemporary radiotherapy and radiosurgery techniques for refractory pituitary adenomas. Pituitary 26, 298–302 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-023-01300-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-023-01300-z

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