Treatment of pituitary adenomas by fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy: a prospective study of 110 patients.

Purpose: To optimize and reduce the toxicity of pituitary adenoma irradiation by assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSR).

Methods And Materials: Between 1990 and 1999, 110 consecutive patients, 47 with a functioning adenoma, were treated according to a strategy of either early surgery and FSR (n = 89) or FSR only (n = 21). Of the 110 patients, 75 had persistent macroscopic tumor and 47 persistent hormonal secretions; 15 were treated in the prophylactic setting.