Home > Treating Acromegaly  > Treatment and Management of Acromegaly > Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy for Acromegaly

According to Expert Consensus Guideline, external pituitary radiotherapy should not be used as the primary therapy except under extraordinary circumstances. The effects of radiotherapy on GH and IGF-1 levels are slow in 60% of cases; GH levels are less than 2.5 µg/L at 10 years. In addition, hypopituitarism occurs in 50% of patients after 10 years of radiotherapy, and replacement therapy with sex steroids, thyroxine, hydrocortisone, or a combination of these are required for these patients.¹

The effect of radiotherapy on the pulsatility of GH may result in GH deficiency.
Less frequent side effects of radiotherapy include visual problems, a second malignancy in the field of radiotherapy (rate of 2% in 20 years), and psychological or memory deficit.^1,2

Gamma-knife radiotherapy has also been used in the treatment of acromegaly and is administered as a single dose. It has been shown that the decrease in GH levels occurs more quickly than with ordinary external beam radiotherapy. However, long-term studies have not been published, and the number of machines available worldwide is limited.¹

References: 1. Melmed S, Colao A, Barkan A, et al. Guidelines for acromegaly management: an update. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94:1509-1517.
2. Melmed S. Medical progress: acromegaly. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2558-2573.