To evaluate the effectiveness of radiation therapy (RT) in patients with somatotropic pituitary adenomas, depending on the age of patients and the activity of pituitary adenomas.
The subject of the study were 50 patients (women-36, men-14) with acromegaly who received gammatherapy in a total dose of 45-60Gr of 20-25fractions every other day. The duration of the disease was 15years on average. In general, the age of patients ranged from 26 to 77years, on average-44.7±6.8years. By age, the patients were divided into 3 groups: the I age group-29-44years-23patients (46%), the IIgroup-45-59year-16patients (32%), the IIIgroup-60-79years, 11patients (22%). All patients underwent hormonal (GH, IGF-1) studies.
The levels of hormones of GH and IGF-1 remained high in the I group in 22% of patients, and in group III in 9%. Remissions reached 64% in the III age group. The highest level of GH content occurred in the age range from45 to59years and was 77.5±9.68mMе/l, and from 26 to 44years it was 68.1±6.84mMе/l. After RT, this indicator in both age groups was almost equally suppressed, but not up to the norm. The decrease in the GH level to normal was observed in I age group in 8patients, and in the II age group in 5patients it was 2.65±2.2mMе/l and 2.23±1.4mMе/l, respectively. In group III, in 11 patients before RT, the mean level of GH was 46.5±8.2mMе/l. After RT, the level of GH decreased in this way: not suppressed only in one patient and was 22.1±0.89mMе/l, in 3patients the level of GH was suppressed, but not up to the norm and amounted to6.7±0.7mMe/l, only 7patients were suppressed and amounted to 2.46±2.2mMe/l.
In all age periods, even in the period of the most activity pituitary adenoma-at the age of 26-44 years, RT is a rather effective method of treatment and gives positive results in most cases.
The authors.
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All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.