Re-irradiation with stereotactic radiotherapy for recurrent high-grade glial tumors

BACKGROUND: Despite the radical treatments applied, recurrence is encountered in the majority of high-grade gliomas (HGG). There is no standard treatment when recurrence is detected, but stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) is a preferable alternative. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the efficacy of SRT for recurrent HGG, and to investigate the factors that affect survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2013 to 2021, a total of 59 patients with 64 lesions were re-irradiated in a single center with the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System. The primary endpoints of the study were overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS) and local control rates (LCR). RESULTS: The median time to first recurrence was 13 (4–85) months. SRT was performed as a median prescription dose of 30 Gy (range 15–30), with a median of 5 fractions (1–5). The median follow-up time was 4 months (range 1–57). The median OS was 8 (95% CI: 4.66–11.33) months. Age, grade 3, tumor size were associated with better survival. The median PFS was 5 [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.39–6.60] months. Age, grade 3 and time to recurrence > 9 months were associated with improved PFS. Grade 3 gliomas (p = 0.027), size of tumor < 2 cm (p = 0.008) remained independent prognostic factors for OS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: SRT is a viable treatment modality with significant survival contribution. Since it may have a favorable prognostic effect on survival in patients with tumor size < 2 cm, we recommend early diagnosis of recurrence and a decision to re-irradiate a smaller tumor during follow-up.