Radiotherapy of primary brain tumours in the region of the third ventricle.

Patients (n = 18) with a primary brain tumour near the third ventricle and treated by radiotherapy were retrospectively analysed. Four different subgroups of patients, according to the histology (germ cell tumours, astrocytomas, other histologies, no histology) were separately discussed. Third ventricle tumours were more frequent in younger patients (less than 30 years). Five years actuarial disease free survival was 62%. Six out of 18 patients died of disease, the others are currently alive without evidence of disease.