Proton Therapy Well-Tolerated for Low-Grade Gliomas

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Patients with low-grade glioma were found to tolerate proton radiation therapy without difficultly, according to an article published online in the journal Cancer.

The study included 20 patients diagnosed with World Health Organization grade 2 glioma.  These 20 patients were determined to be eligible for proton radiation therapy at a dose of 54 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) in 30 fractions.

Results revealed that a small subset (6 patients) experienced new neuroendocrine dysfunction and 19 out of the 20 patients received direct irradiation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.  Overall, intellectual functioning was reported to be within normal range and remained stable over time.  Patients’ visuospatial ability, attention/working memory, and executive functioning were all within normal range as well.  Impairments were observed in eight patients regarding their neurocognitive functions of language, memory, and processing speed. 

However, there was no overall decline in patients’ cognitive functioning reported.  Furthermore, patient quality of life assessment remained constant over time.  At 3 years, the progression-free survival rate was 85%, while at 5 years it declined to 40%.