The value of postoperative radiotherapy of primary spinal cord glioma

Abstract

Forty patients with spinal cord gliomas, irradiated postoperatively between 1976 and 1994 at the Department of Radiation Oncology of Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Centre in Kraków, were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty seven (67%) patients were classified as those with ependymomas, and 13 (33%) with astrocytomas. Thirty six patients were irradiated because of non radical excision, in 4 cases indication for radiotherapy was high grade histology. The overall actuarial survival rates at 5 and 10-years were 74% and 71%, respectively. The 10-year relapse free survival was 69%. Multivariate analysis showed that only age, histology and neurological function were correlated with survival time. Patients under 30 years of age, with ependymoma, and with very good, good or moderate neurological function carried the best prognosis.