Increased mortality due to radiation therapy is a subject for debate. It was already mentioned that in a large cohort of mainly non-functioning pituitary adenomas the overall age adjusted relative risk (RR) of death was 1.76 in comparison with the normal population13. A possible risk factor, mentioned in this cohort for increased mortality, was radiation therapy, but this factor showed no statistical significance.
The Danish registry however reported no increased mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. In this study surgery type and radiation therapy were not identified as risk factors, while female sex was a risk factor8. Moreover, no increased mortality due to malignant disease was reported in all kinds of pituitary adenoma8.