GP.05 The risk of malignancy after stereotactic radiosurgery

Background: A major concern of patients undergoing Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) for benign tumors and other conditions is the risk of a separate secondary malignancy or malignant -transformation. The incidence of radiosurgery-associated malignancy based on long-term follow-up remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study to estimate the incidence rate of both malignant transformation and a separate radiation-associated malignancy in patients undergoing GKS from 1987 to 2016 at 5 centers. Results: 11 527 patients underwent radiosurgery for meningioma (n=3261), arteriovenous malformation (n=2868), trigeminal neuralgia (n=1982), vestibular schwannoma (n=1957), pituitary adenoma (n=1193), other (n=266). The follow-up time ranged from 0.3 to 23.8 years. Four cases of malignant transformation and 3 new malignant brain tumors were reported, two of which were not within the irradiated field. The incidence of malignant transformation was 6.6 per 100 000 patient-years and of new malignancy, either locally or distant, was 5 in 100 000 patient-years. These risks are not higher than the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States derived annual incidence rate of all primary malignant CNS tumors of 7.15 per 100 000. Conclusions: Physicians can safely counsel patients that the risk of malignancy after stereotactic radiosurgery remains extremely low, even at long-term follow-up of greater than 10 years.