Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery treatment results for skull base chordomas

Chordomas are uncommon neoplasms and there is still controversy regarding establishment of diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery (FSRS) in skull base chordomas. There were 4 female (36%) and 7 male (64%) patients. FSRS was delivered with CyberKnife (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA). The median tumor volume was 14.7 cc (range, 3.9–40.5 cc). The median marginal tumor dose was 30 Gy (range, 20–36 Gy) in a median 5 fractions (range, 3–5 fractions). The median follow-up time was 42 months (range, 17–63 months). At the time of analysis, 10 (91%) patients were alive and 1 (9%) had died due to tumor progression. Of 10 patients, 8 (73%) had stable disease and the remaining 2 (18%) had progressive disease. The actuarial overall survival (OS) after FSRS was 91% at two-years. Two patients developed radiation-induced brain necrosis as a complication in the 8th and 28th months of follow-up, respectively. Our results with robotic FSRS in skull base chordomas are promising for selected patients. However, due to the slow growth pattern of skull base chordomas, a longer follow-up is required to determine exact treatment results and late morbidity.