Radiotherapy for non-functioning pituitary adenomas

The initial management of large non-functioning pituitary adenomas is surgical debulking. In some cases, postoperative radiotherapy (RT) is administered in order to reduce the likelihood of tumour regrowth. Historically, there have been concerns surrounding a number of potentially significant complications of pituitary RT. Recent contributions to the literature, however, suggest that pituitary RT may be less hazardous than was originally thought. This article reviews the evidence relating to the potential side-effects of RT and weighs these risks against the clinically beneficial effects of preventing pituitary tumour regrowth.