"Radiotherapy for brain tumors is known to cause hormone deficiency in some patients, and children are especially sensitive to this potential side effect. We were able to analyze data from 189 pediatric and young adult patients treated with proton therapy at [Massachusetts General], with an average follow-up of 4.4 years (between 0.1 to 13.3 years)--the largest study of its kind and the first with patients receiving proton therapy for a variety of brain tumors," Vatner says. "Among these patients, the rate of any hormone deficiency at four years was 48.8 percent, but this was strongly associated with the dose of radiation and the age at time of treatment."

"This provides strong support for the benefits of advanced radiation technologies such as proton therapy for the treatment of brain tumors, especially in younger patients," he continues. "These data will help physicians predict the risk of deficiencies in growth hormone, thyroid hormone, adrenal corticosteroids and sex steroids in their patients receiving radiotherapy for brain tumors on the basis of patient age and radiation dose to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Moving forward, physicians can use these models to help navigate their treatment planning and identify patients who will most benefit from advanced technologies like proton therapy that can treat tumors while better sparing healthy normal tissues."

This project was supported by the federal share of program income earned by Massachusetts General Hospital on a National Institutes of Health Grant C06 (CA059267).

Vatner receives honoraria and research funding from Varian Medical Systems, a radiation oncology treatment and software maker.

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