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Patients with brain tumors treated with radiation may have hypopituitarism later
The background of the study. External-beam radiation
directed to the region of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland can
cause deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones (hypopituitarism).
This study was done to determine whether radiation therapy for brain
tumors has similar effects.
How the study was done. The study subjects were 56 patients with brain tumors treated with radiation one or more years earlier. Most patients had a low-grade glioma and had been treated by surgery before radiation therapy was given. Pituitary function was tested using standard tests.
The results of the study. The mean interval between therapy and hormone testing was 3 years (range, 1 to 12.5). Among the 56 patients, 23 (41 percent) had one or more pituitary hormone deficiencies. Nine patients (16 percent) had one deficiency and 14 (25 percent) had multiple deficiencies, including 4 (7 percent) who had deficiency of all pituitary hormones (panhypopituitarism).
Eighteen patients (32 percent) had growth hormone deficiency, 15 (27 percent) gonadotropin deficiency (gonadal hormone deficiency), 12 (21 percent) corticotropin deficiency (adrenal deficiency), and 5 (9 percent) thyrotropin (TSH) deficiency (hypothyroidism). These pituitary hormone deficiencies were associated with higher radiation dose and a longer time interval after radiation therapy.
The conclusions of the study. Patients with brain tumors who are treated with external-beam radiation are at risk for hypopituitarism.
The original article. Agha A, Sherlock M, Brennan S, O’Connor SA, O’Sullivan E, Rogers B, Faul C, Rawluk D, Tormey W, Thompson CJ. Hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction after irradiation of nonpituitary brain tumors in adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005;90:6355-60.
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