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Craniopharyngioma are rare tumours of the sellar region and commonly seen in pediatric and young adult patient population. The optimal management Data on demographic details, symptomatology, treatment and response is limited from the Indian sub-continent. In this study, we assess the demographics and pattern of care in management of craniopharyngioma

Patients included in the retrospective analysis were those who presented to the neuro-oncology clinic under radiation oncology department after surgery between January 2003 and December 2020. The patient records were reviewed and the demographic, treatment details and outcomes were retrieved using predesigned proforma. Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed. Propensity score–matched analyses were performed to further control for baseline confounders.

A total of 65 patients were assessed retrospectively from the medical records of our institute. With a median follow-up of 96 months, the median age of presentation was 16.4 years (Range 2 – 36 years). Majority of the patient population were males (65.6%) and the commonest symptom at presentation was headache and adamantinomatous type being the commonest histopathology among the patients.  The complete response rate was 91% and remaining 9% had a partial response post treatment. At the time of last analysis, the 8-year local control rate was 87% and overall survival was 93%. The median radiation dose delivered was 50.4Gy in 28 fractions and no grade 3 or 4 toxicities were documented. On univariate analysis, age was a major factor predicting the local control with better outcomes in the pediatric population. However, no association with other patient or disease characteristics were associated with significance in survival outcomes.

Craniopharyngioma are effectively treated with a combination of surgery and radiation therapy and a multimodality treatment forms a cornerstone in the management. Radiation therapy is a safe treatment option especially in pediatric population with excellent survival outcomes and reduced toxicities.