Atypical Meningioma Patients Research Articles

Rethinking the effects of adjuvant beam radiation therapy on overall survival in atypical meningioma patients: age considerations.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of adjuvant beam radiation therapy (ABRT) on overall survival (OS) in patients with primary single intracranial atypical meningioma (AM), with a focus on age-related outcomes. We conducted a retrospective study using data from SEER database. Our cohort consisted of patients diagnosed with a primary single intracranial AM tumor and had undergone surgery. The primary endpoint was OS. For survival analysis, univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed. A multivariable additive Cox model was used to assess the functional relationship between age and OS in patients with or without ABRT. Of the 2,759 patients included, 1,650 underwent gross total resection and 833 received ABRT. Multivariable Cox analysis indicated that ABRT did not significantly influence OS across the entire cohort. According to the multivariable generalized additive Cox model, the relative risk of all-cause mortality increased with advancing age in both ABRT-yes and ABRT-no group. ABRT-yes had a lower relative risk than ABRT-no when age ≤ 55 years old while a higher relative risk when age > 55 years old. Subsequent multivariable Cox analysis showed that ABRT was associated with a significant lower risk for all-cause mortality in patients with age ≤ 55 years old while a significant higher risk in patients with age > 55 years old. Our study found that ABRT enhanced OS in younger primary single intracranial AM patients. But we also revealed a negative correlation between OS and ABRT in older patients.

Overall Survival of Primary Single Intracranial Atypical Meningioma with Different Surgical and Postoperative Treatment Options: Evidence from the SEER Database.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of different surgical and postoperative treatment options on the long-term overall survival (OS) in patients with primary single intracranial atypical meningioma. In this retrospective study, participants were drawn from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Inclusion criteria comprised patients who underwent either gross total resection (GTR) or subtotal resection (STR). The inverse probability weighting (IPW) method using generalized boosted models was used to achieve balance in variables across various treatment groups. Subsequent to IPW, multivariate Cox analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were conducted, with OS as the endpoint. GTR was conducted on 1650 patients, while STR was conducted on 1109 patients. Among these, 432 patients who underwent GTR and 401 patients who underwent STR received postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). In the case of patients who were under 60 years old, PORT emerged as a significant protective factor for OS in those who underwent STR (HR 0.44; 95% CI 0.23-0.84; p = 0.013). Survival curves demonstrated that patients who underwent STR with PORT exhibited comparable OS to those who underwent GTR without PORT (p = 0.546). Conversely, for patients aged 60 years or older, PORT emerged as an independent risk factor for both GTR (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.00-2.00; p = 0.048) and STR (HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.26-2.60; p = 0.001). PORT may contribute to improving OS in primary single atypical meningioma patients under 60 years old who receive STR. However, in older patients who underwent either GTR or STR, the administration of PORT may be associated with a potential risk of OS. Therefore, age should be taken into account in applying PORT therapy, and the optimal treatment strategy for PORT in patients with atypical meningiomas needs to be further explored and validated.

A machine learning-based integrated clinical model for predicting prognosis in atypical meningioma patients.

Atypical meningioma (AM) recurs in up to half of patients after surgical resection and may require adjuvant therapy to improve patient prognosis. Various clinicopathological features have been shown to have prognostic implications in AM, but an integrated prediction model is lacking. Thus, in this study, we aimed to develop and validate an integrated prognostic model for AM. A retrospective cohort of 528 adult AM patients surgically treated at our institution were randomly assigned to a training or validation group in a 7:3 ratio. Sixteen baseline demographic, clinical, and pathological parameters, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analysed. Sixty-five combinations of machine learning (ML) algorithms were used for model training and validation to predict tumour recurrence and patient mortality. The random survival forest (RSF) model was the best model for predicting recurrence and death. Primary or secondary tumour, Ki-67 index, extent of resection, tumour size, brain involvement, tumour necrosis, and age contributed significantly to the model. The C-index value of the RSF recurrence prediction model reached 0.8080. The AUCs for 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 0.83, 0.82, and 0.86, respectively. The C-index value of the RSF death prediction model reached 0.8890. The AUCs for 3-year and 5-year OS were 0.88 and 0.89, respectively. A high-performing integrated RSF predictive model for AM recurrence and patient mortality was proposed that may guide therapeutic decision-making and long-term monitoring.

Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Atypical Meningioma: Are the Risks Worth the Benefit?

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) improves progression-free survival (PFS) in atypical meningiomas. Herein, we assess whether the treatment-related acute and long-term toxicity of upfront RT in atypical meningioma patients versus surveillance merits the PFS benefit. In our prior single institution retrospective study of 230 patients with resected intracranial atypical meningiomas between 2000-2015, adjuvant RT was associated with a significantly lower risk of progression/recurrence compared to surveillance (HR = 0.21 [95% CI 0.11-0.41]; p<0.01), with 36% of surveillance patients eventually requiring salvage RT. In the current study, the acute (≤6 months) and long term (>6 months) RT-related toxicities from the same patient cohort for those who received adjuvant RT (n = 51) were evaluated and compared to those who received salvage RT (n = 64) in the surveillance group. Additionally, overall treatment-related toxicity at time of last follow up was obtained for comparison between the adjuvant RT (n = 51) vs surveillance (n = 179) group. All toxicities were graded per CTCAE v5.0. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the cumulative incidence of toxicities; Pearson's chi-squared and log-rank test were used for comparison. Adjuvant RT as compared to salvage RT was generally associated with greater RT-related toxicities both in the acute (90% vs 69%, p = 0.006) and long term (57% vs 33%, p = 0.010). While there was no significant difference in grade 3-4 acute toxicities, long term grade 3-4 toxicities (including headache, seizure, vision loss, neuromotor deficit, and neurocognitive deficit) were present in 14% of adjuvant vs 3% of salvage RT group (p = 0.035). Radionecrosis occurred in 18% of adjuvant RT vs 8% of salvage RT group (p = 0.11). Between adjuvant RT vs surveillance groups, any-treatment related toxicity at last follow up was greater with adjuvant RT (31% vs 15%; p = 0.006), with trend towards greater grade 3-4 toxicities (including headache, vision loss, neuromotor deficit, neurocognitive deficit, and cerebral edema) as well (8% vs 3%; p = 0.101). Cumulative incidence of treatment-related neuromotor deficit (any grade) was significantly greater in the adjuvant RT vs surveillance group with 14% vs 2% at 10 years (p = 0.004). There was no difference in rate of cerebrovascular accident between adjuvant RT (6%) vs surveillance (4%) groups (p = 0.83). Adjuvant RT for patients with atypical meningioma was associated with greater acute and long-term treatment toxicities. Potential RT-related toxicity and impact on quality-of-life should thus be carefully weighed against the tumor control benefit of RT in deciding the optimal use and timing of RT.

BIOM-53. SPECIFIC MICRORNA EXPRESSION PATTERN PREDICTS RECURRENCE IN ATYPICAL MENINGIOMA

Abstract Meningiomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Atypical meningioma (AM) recurs in 40% of patients despite total resection and radiotherapy (RT). No consensus on optimal adjuvant management was found, and it is difficult to identify patients insensitive to RT in real-life clinical practice. A promising group of biomarkers represent microRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding RNAs that regulate most biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The study aims to identify tissue miRNAs capable of predicting patients with AM who could benefit from the indicated adjuvant RT. The study includes 80 patients with AM in the exploratory phase and 400 patients with meningioma in the validation phase. Total RNA enriched with miRNAs was isolated from FFPE tissue using the mirVana miRNA Isolation Kit (TF Scientific). Subsequently, RNA quantity and quality controls were measured using NanoDrop 2000 (TF Scientific) and Qubit 2.0 (TF Scientific) instruments. A global miRNA expression profile was generated using the TaqMan Array Human MicroRNA Cards (TF Scientific), which allow the detection of up to 754 miRNAs simultaneously. Obtained data were processed and integrated through bioinformatics algorithms with clinicopathological data of patients with AM.The study identified significantly dysregulated miRNAs among AM patients with and without recurrence (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Results also suggest dysregulated miRNA expression profile in AM patients with indicated RT who did/did not develop a recurrence (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Lists of individual miRNAs and detailed graphical analyses will be included in the conference presentation.The results will help predict the prognosis of surgically intervened patients more accurately and can help determine which patients will benefit from the adjuvant RT. This research is supported by the AZV grant from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (reg. No. NV19-03-00559) and Conceptual development of research organization (FNBr, 65269705). All rights reserved.

Risk factors associated with postoperative recurrence in atypical intracranial meningioma: analysis of 263 cases at a single neurosurgical centre.

Atypical meningioma (AM) has a high rate of local recurrence after surgery, and the role of adjuvant radiotherapy in AM remains controversial. We analysed progression-free survival (PFS) and identified the factors associated with postoperative recurrence in AM patients. Data were obtained from 263 AM patients who underwent surgery at our institution between October 2009 and September 2018. Analyses included factors such as the extent of surgical resection, MIB-1 labelling index, brain invasion and therapy modality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess recurrence-related prognostic factors. The median follow-up duration was 41months, and the median PFS was 28months. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 213 (81.0%) patients, and 86 (32.7%) patients received postoperative radiation therapy (RT). During follow-up, there were 61 (23.2%) tumour recurrences. In a Cox multivariate analysis, MIB-1 labelling index (hazard ratio = 2.637; p < 0.001), secondary tumour (hazard ratio = 3.541; p < 0.001), tumour size (hazard ratio = 1.818; p = 0.032) and extent of resection (hazard ratio = 2.861; p<0.001) were independent significant predictors of tumour recurrence. RT was associated with reduced tumour recurrence in subtotal resection (STR) (p = 0.023) but not GTR (p = 0.923). An analysis of 6 meningioma patients who underwent more than 3 operations suggested that the recurrence time became shorter and the MIB-1 labelling index increased as the number of recurrences increased. MIB-1 labelling index, secondary tumour, tumour size and extent of resection were powerful predictors of recurrence in AM patients. Postoperative RT did not decrease the risk of recurrence in GTR patients.

Outcome and prognostic factors for atypical meningiomas after first recurrence

Atypical meningioma (AM) tends to be tumor with high rates of recurrence and mortality. In this retrospective study, 131 recurrent AM patients underwent AM surgery in Beijing Tiantan Hospital between January 2008 and December 2015. Of the 131 cases collected, 61 were male (46.6%), and 70 (53.4%) were female. 53 (40.5%) patients chose observation instead of therapy, 53 (40.5%) received repeat surgery and 25 patients (19.0%) received gamma knife surgery (GKS). The median overall survival (OS) was 34.6 months and actuarial OS of patients at 1, 3 and 5 years were 88.6%, 48.8%, 36.0%, respectively. In the treatment group including 78 patients with surgery and GKS group, a tumor progression happened to 35 patients (44.9%). The median duration of progression-free survival (PFS) was 34.5 months and the median OS was 61.7 months. Second PFS at 1, 3 and 5 years were 84.1%, 46.5% and 24.0%, respectively; the corresponding OS was 98.5%, 75.1%, 57.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed treatment strategy was the only independent factor (P < 0.001). In the treatment group, non-peritumoral edema (P = 0.002), preoperative KPS (per 10 scores increase) (P < 0.001) and GKS (P = 0.042) was related to better OS. Short interval (<24 months) from symptoms onset to intervention was related to better PFS (P = 0.004) in univariate analysis. This retrospective study presents the largest cohort of recurrent AM patients, surgical treatment is recommended in patients with tumor recurrence, and GKS is considered a promising therapeutic option of recurrence atypical meningioma.

Effectiveness of Postoperative Radiotherapy on Atypical Meningioma Patients: A Population-Based Study.

Purpose: It is controversial whether atypical meningioma patients undergoing gross-total resection (GTR) can benefit from postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of PORT on atypical meningioma patients.Methods: Patients diagnosed with atypical meningioma from 2008 to 2015 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves were generated, and the log-rank test was used to compare the differences among groups. Univariable and multivariable COX regressions were conducted for survival analyses.Results: A total of 1,014 patients were enrolled. The 5-years survival rate of the overall patients was 79.0%. PORT was performed in 315 (31.1%) patients. The utilization rates of PORT in patients undergoing GTR and undergoing subtotal resection (STR) were 26.7% and 42.2%, respectively. For patients undergoing STR, log-rank test showed that overall survival (OS) time was significantly longer in patients receiving PORT than those not (p = 0.026). For patients undergoing GTR, OS time did not show significant association with PORT (p = 0.339). In addition, patients undergoing STR with PORT had no significantly different OS time compared with those undergoing GTR with PORT (p = 0.398). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that receipt of PORT (p = 0.187) was not an independent predictor of OS after adjustment.Conclusion: PORT may not prolong the OS in atypical meningioma patients undergoing GTR. However, patients undergoing STR may benefit from PORT and achieve similar OS to those undergoing GTR.

Primary management of atypical meningioma: treatment patterns and survival outcomes by patient age

The initial management of atypical meningiomas poses a distinct clinical challenge in that treatment protocols have not been fully established, and outcomes, especially differences by patient age, have not been broadly measured. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) allows for analysis of a large, diverse patient population to determine clinical parameters and survival outcomes based on the initial treatment of patients with atypical meningiomas. Analysis of the NCDB yielded 3611 atypical meningioma patients treated between 2008 and 2012. Principal treatment paradigms included surgery with or without radiation. Survival estimates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves stratified by age at diagnosis for each treatment paradigm. Subset analysis was performed for socio-economic factors. Overall 5-year survival rate was 77.6% and declined with increasing patient age (p < 0.0001). Five-year survival for patients ≤ 45years undergoing surgery alone was 89.3 vs. 44.4% for those > 75years (p < 0.0001). For patients undergoing surgery with adjuvant radiation, 5-year survival was 93.7% in those ≤ 45years and 54.1% in those > 75years (p < 0.0001). Use of adjuvant radiation was stable over time. Private-insured patients were more likely to receive adjuvant radiation (p = 0.0001). Patients treated for atypical meningioma have high rates of 5-year survival. A marginal survival benefit of adjuvant radiation was observed for patients < 55 and > 75years, while patients between 55 and 75years tended to have slightly improved survival with surgery alone. Though surgery remains the standard of care in the primary treatment of atypical meningioma, the decision to administer radiation post-operatively has remained controversial.

Overall survival benefit associated with adjuvant radiotherapy in WHO grade II meningioma.

Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after surgical resection of World Health Organization (WHO) grade II meningioma, also known as atypical meningioma (AM), is a topic of controversy. The purpose of this study is to compare overall survival (OS) with or without adjuvant RT after subtotal resection (STR) or gross total resection (GTR) in AM patients diagnosed according to the 2007 WHO classification. The National Cancer Database was used to identify 2515 patients who were diagnosed with AM between 2009 and 2012 and underwent STR or GTR with or without adjuvant RT. Propensity score matching was first applied to balance covariates including age, year of diagnosis, sex, race, histology, and tumor size in STR or GTR cohorts stratified by adjuvant RT status. Multivariate regression according to the Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier survival plots with log-rank test were then used to evaluate OS difference associated with adjuvant RT. GTR is associated with improved OS compared with STR. In the subgroup analysis, adjuvant RT in patients who underwent STR demonstrated significant association with improved OS compared with no adjuvant RT (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 0.590, P = .045); however, adjuvant RT is not associated with improved OS in patients who underwent GTR (AHR 1.093, P = .737). Despite the lack of consensus on whether adjuvant RT reduces recurrence after surgical resection of AM, our study observed significantly improved OS with adjuvant RT compared with no adjuvant RT after STR.

Overall Survival Benefit Associated with Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Who Grade II Meningioma

Background Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after surgical resection of World Health Organization (WHO) grade II meningioma, also known as atypical meningioma (AM), is a topic of controversy. The purpose of this study is to compare overall survival (OS) with or without adjuvant RT after subtotal resection (STR) or gross total resection (GTR) in AM patients diagnosed according to the 2007 WHO classification. Methods The National Cancer Database was used to identify 2515 patients who were diagnosed with AM between 2009 and 2012 and underwent STR or GTR with or without adjuvant RT. Propensity score matching was first applied to balance covariates including age, year of diagnosis, sex, race, histology, and tumor size in STR or GTR cohorts stratified by adjuvant RT status. Multivariate regression according to the Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier survival plots with log-rank test were then used to evaluate OS difference associated with adjuvant RT. Results GTR is associated with improved OS compared with STR. In the subgroup analysis, adjuvant RT in patients who underwent STR demonstrated significant association with improved OS compared with no adjuvant RT (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 0.590, P = .045); however, adjuvant RT is not associated with improved OS in patients who underwent GTR (AHR 1.093, P = .737). Conclusions Despite the lack of consensus on whether adjuvant RT reduces recurrence after surgical resection of AM, our study observed significantly improved OS with adjuvant RT compared with no adjuvant RT after STR.

Diagnostic Value of 68Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT Imaging of Brain Tumors-Preliminary Analysis.

To evaluate the feasibility of using Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT for imaging brain lesions and its comparison with F-FDG. Ten patients with brain lesions were included in the study. Five patients were treated cases of glioblastoma with suspected recurrence. F-FDG and Ga PSMA-11 brain scans were done for these patients. Five patients were sent for assessing the nature (primary lesion/metastasis) of space occupying lesion in brain. They underwent whole body F-FDG PET/CT scan and a primary site elsewhere in the body was ruled out. Subsequently they underwent Ga PSMA-11 brain PET/CT imaging. Target to background ratios (TBR) for the brain lesions were calculated using contralateral cerebellar uptake as background. In five treated cases of glioblastoma with suspected recurrence the findings of Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT showed good correlation with that of F-FDG PET/CT scan. Compared to the F-FDG, Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT showed better visualization of the recurrent lesion (presence/absence) owing to its significantly high TBR. Among the five cases evaluated for lesion characterization glioma and atypical meningioma patients showed higher SUVmax in the lesion with Ga PSMA-11 than with F-FDG and converse in cases of lymphoma. TBR was better with Ga PSMA PET/CT in all cases. Ga PSMA-11 PET/CT brain imaging is a potentially useful imaging tool in the evaluation of brain lesions. Absence of physiological uptake of Ga PSMA-11 in the normal brain parenchyma results in high TBR values and consequently better visualization of metabolically active disease in brain.

Referral Patterns and Outcomes of Atypical Meningioma Patients Treated With Surgery With or Without Radiation Therapy

Referral Patterns and Outcomes of Atypical Meningioma Patients Treated With Surgery With or Without Radiation Therapy

Atypical Meningiomas: Recurrence, Reoperation, and Radiotherapy

Atypical meningiomas (World Health Organization [WHO] grade II) represent a therapeutic challenge given their high recurrence rate and greater mortality compared with WHO grade I meningiomas. Traditionally, treatment has entailed attempts at gross total resection with radiation therapy reserved for residual disease or recurrences. We retrospectively reviewed our patient database of atypical meningioma (AM) patients over the past 10 years to assess surgical and radiotherapeutic treatments administered, treatment-related complications, radiographic-clinical progression after treatment, and mortality. We identified 45 patients with AMs and excluded 2 patients with incomplete hospital records. The average age of our patients was 59.7 years. Forty-three AM patients underwent a total of 62 surgeries. Thirty patients underwent one initial surgical resection; 8 patients underwent a second resection for recurrence; 4 patients underwent 3 resections; and 1 patient underwent 4 resections for recurrences. The rate of postoperative complication was 12.9% (8/62). Five patients had postoperative wound infections requiring treatment, and 1 patient had a postoperative hematoma requiring surgical evacuation. There was 1 case of wound breakdown in a patient with a previously irradiated scalp and 1 case of lower-extremity venous thrombosis. Clinical follow-up ranged from 11-120 months with average follow-up of 43 months and median follow-up of 65 months. Nineteen patients (44%) developed clinical-radiographic evidence of recurrence at an average of 32.4 months after surgical resection. Of the recurrences, 12 were treated with repeat surgery and radiation therapy, 3 were treated with radiation therapy alone, and 2 with surgery alone. Radiation therapy included Gamma Knife (GK), CyberKnife (CK), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), or some combination of these. There was one case of symptomatic radiation necrosis (1/15 or 6.6%). The survival rate at last follow-up of our patient cohort was 95.3%. Given their high rates of recurrence, AMs require close clinical follow-up and an individualized treatment strategy. Reoperation, radiotherapy, or combination therapy can be effective strategies at managing disease progression while minimizing treatment-related morbidity. Treatment planning that attempts to anticipate future therapies in the form of further surgery or radiotherapy may improve clinical outcomes in these patients. Seventeen patients underwent adjuvant radiation therapy: 7 patients with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 4 patients with Gamma Knife (GK), and 2 with CyberKnife (CK). Four patients underwent multiple treatments.

Magnetic Resonance Image Manifestations of the Atypical Meningioma

Through retrospective analysis of 13 cases of magnetic resonance image (MRI) manifestations of atypical meningiomas confirmed by operation and pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, the objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of MRI in order to improve the accuracy rate of preoperative diagnosis. In this retrospective analysis of MRI findings for atypical meningiomas in First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from January to July in 2012, the location, morphology and tumor signals and other tumor imaging characteristics were covered. In 13 cases of atypical meningioma patients of this group, most tumors were located at typical sites (10/13), mainly the falx cerebri, parasagittal, convexity, saddle area. Only two cases were at atypical locations, 1 in the cerebellar hemisphere and 1 in a lateral ventricle. Most of the tumors showed T1 and T2 isointensity signals, and necrosis, calcification, and peritumoral edema were always featured. DWI showed isointensity in 11 cases (11/13), and hyperintensity in 2. Some 9 cases had dural tail signs, 12 had accurate positioning (12/13), and 2 were postoperative recurrences. MRI has high value in the diagnosis of atypical meningiomas, with important roles in early clinical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation.

Proton and carbon ion radiotherapy for primary brain tumors delivered with active raster scanning at the Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center (HIT): early treatment results and study concepts

BackgroundParticle irradiation was established at the University of Heidelberg 2 years ago. To date, more than 400 patients have been treated including patients with primary brain tumors. In malignant glioma (WHO IV) patients, two clinical trials have been set up-one investigating the benefit of a carbon ion (18 GyE) vs. a proton boost (10 GyE) in addition to photon radiotherapy (50 Gy), the other one investigating reirradiation with escalating total dose schedules starting at 30 GyE. In atypical meningioma patients (WHO °II), a carbon ion boost of 18 GyE is applied to macroscopic tumor residues following previous photon irradiation with 50 Gy.This study was set up in order to investigate toxicity and response after proton and carbon ion therapy for gliomas and meningiomas.Methods33 patients with gliomas (n = 26) and meningiomas (n = 7) were treated with carbon ion (n = 26) and proton (n = 7) radiotherapy. In 22 patients, particle irradiation was combined with photon therapy. Temozolomide-based chemotherapy was combined with particle therapy in 17 patients with gliomas. Particle therapy as reirradiation was conducted in 7 patients. Target volume definition was based upon CT, MRI and PET imaging. Response was assessed by MRI examinations, and progression was diagnosed according to the Macdonald criteria. Toxicity was classified according to CTCAE v4.0.ResultsTreatment was completed and tolerated well in all patients. Toxicity was moderate and included fatigue (24.2%), intermittent cranial nerve symptoms (6%) and single episodes of seizures (6%). At first and second follow-up examinations, mean maximum tumor diameters had slightly decreased from 29.7 mm to 27.1 mm and 24.9 mm respectively. Nine glioma patients suffered from tumor relapse, among these 5 with infield relapses, causing death in 8 patients. There was no progression in any meningioma patient.ConclusionsParticle radiotherapy is safe and feasible in patients with primary brain tumors. It is associated with little toxicity. A positive response of both gliomas and meningiomas, which is suggested in these preliminary data, must be evaluated in further clinical trials.