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OBJECTIVE Frailty has not been clearly defined in the context of spinal metastatic disease (SMD). Given this, the objective of this study was to better understand how members of the international AO Spine community conceptualize, define, and assess frailty in SMD. METHODS The AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor conducted an international cross-sectional survey of the AO Spine community. The survey was developed using a modified Delphi technique and was designed to capture preoperative surrogate markers of frailty and relevant postoperative clinical outcomes in the context of SMD. Responses were ranked using weighted averages. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% agreement among respondents. RESULTS Results were analyzed for 359 respondents, with an 87% completion rate. Study participants represented 71 countries. In the clinical setting, most respondents informally assess frailty and cognition in patients with SMD by forming a general perception based on clinical condition and patient history. Consensus was attained among respondents regarding the association between 14 preoperative clinical variables and frailty. Severe comorbidities, extensive systemic disease burden, and poor performance status were most associated with frailty. Severe comorbidities associated with frailty included high-risk cardiopulmonary disease, renal failure, liver failure, and malnutrition. The most clinically relevant outcomes were major complications, neurological recovery, and change in performance status. CONCLUSIONS The respondents recognized that frailty is important, but they most commonly evaluate it based on general clinical impressions rather than using existing frailty tools. The authors identified numerous preoperative surrogate markers of frailty and postoperative clinical outcomes that spine surgeons perceived as most relevant in this population.

Hybrid therapy, consisting of separation surgery followed by stereotactic body radiation therapy, has become the mainstay treatment for radioresistant spinal metastases. Histology-specific outcomes for hybrid therapy are scarce. In clinical practice, colorectal cancer (CRC) is particularly thought to have poor outcomes regarding spinal metastases. The goal of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes for patients treated with hybrid therapy for spinal metastases from CRC.This retrospective study was performed at a tertiary cancer center. Adult patients with CRC spinal metastasis who were treated with hybrid therapy for high-grade epidural spinal cord or nerve root compression from 2005 to 2020 were included. Outcome variables evaluated included patient demographics, overall survival and progression-free survival, surgical and radiation complications, and clinical-genomic correlations.Inclusion criteria were met by 50 patients. Progression of disease occurred in 7 (14%) patients at the index level, requiring reoperation and/or reirradiation at a mean of 400 days after surgery. Postoperative complications occurred in 16% of patients, with 3 (6%) requiring intervention. APC exon 14 and 16 mutations were found in 15 of 17 patients tested and in all 3 of 7 local failures tested. Twenty patients (40%) underwent further radiation due to disease progression at other spinal levels.Hybrid therapy in patients with CRC resulted in 86.7% local control at 2 years after surgery, with limited complications. APC mutations are commonly present in CRC patients with spine metastases and may suggest worse prognosis. Patients with CRC spinal metastases commonly progress outside the index treatment level.

In treatment of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC), hybrid therapy, consisting of separation surgery, followed by stereotactic body radiation therapy, has become the mainstay of treatment for radioresistant pathologies, such as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).To evaluate clinical outcomes of MESCC secondary to NSCLC treated with hybrid therapy and to identify clinical and molecular prognostic predictors.This is a single-center, retrospective study. Adult patients (≥18 years old) with pathologically confirmed NSCLC and spinal metastasis who were treated with hybrid therapy for high-grade MESCC or nerve root compression from 2012 to 2019 are included. Outcome variables evaluated included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival, local tumor control in the competing risks setting, surgical and radiation complications, and clinical-genomic correlations.One hundred and three patients met inclusion criteria. The median OS for this cohort was 6.5 months, with progression of disease noted in 5 (5%) patients at the index tumor level requiring reoperation and/or reirradiation at a mean of 802 days after postoperative stereotactic body radiation therapy. The 2-year local control rate was 94.6% (95% CI: 89.8-99.3). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) treatment-naïve patients who initiated EGFR-targeted therapy after hybrid therapy had significantly longer OS (hazard ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95, P = .04) even after adjusting for smoking status. The presence of EGFR exon 21 mutation was predictive of improved progression-free survival.Hybrid therapy in NSCLC resulted in 95% local control at 2 years after surgery. EGFR treatment-naïve patients initiating therapy after hybrid therapy had significantly improved survival advantage. EGFR-targeted therapy initiated before hybrid therapy did not confer survival benefit.

Historically, spine surgeons used expected postoperative survival of 3-months to help select candidates for operative intervention in spinal metastasis. However, this cutoff has been challenged by the development of minimally invasive techniques, novel biologics, and advanced radiotherapy. Recent studies have suggested that a life expectancy of 6 weeks may be enough to achieve significant improvements in postoperative health-related quality of life.The purpose of this study was to develop a model capable of predicting 6-week mortality in patients with spinal metastases treated with radiation or surgery.A retrospective review was conducted at five large tertiary centers in the United States and Taiwan.The development cohort consisted of 3,001 patients undergoing radiotherapy and/or surgery for spinal metastases from one institution. The validation institutional cohort consisted of 1,303 patients from four independent, external institutions.The primary outcome was 6-week mortality.Five models were considered to predict 6-week mortality, and the model with the best performance across discrimination, calibration, decision-curve analysis, and overall performance was integrated into an open access web-based application.The most important variables for prediction of 6-week mortality were albumin, primary tumor histology, absolute lymphocyte, three or more spine metastasis, and ECOG score. The elastic-net penalized logistic model was chosen as the best performing model with AUC 0.84 on evaluation in the independent testing set. On external validation in the 1,303 patients from the four independent institutions, the model retained good discriminative ability with an area under the curve of 0.81. The model is available here: https://sorg-apps.shinyapps.io/spinemetssurvival/.While this study does not advocate for the use of a 6-week life expectancy as criteria for considering operative management, the algorithm developed and externally validated in this study may be helpful for preoperative planning, multidisciplinary management, and shared decision-making in spinal metastasis patients with shorter life expectancy.

Central tendency analysis studies demonstrate that surgery provides pain relief in spinal metastatic tumors. However, they preclude patient-specific probability of treatment outcome.To use responder analysis to study the variability of pain improvement.In this single-center, retrospective analysis, 174 patients were studied. Logistic regression modeling was used to associate preoperative characteristics with rating the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) worst pain item 0 to 4. Linear regression modeling was used to associate preoperative characteristics with minimal clinically important improvement (MCI) in physical functioning defined by a 1-point decrease in the BPI Interference Construct score from preoperative baseline to 6 months postoperatively.Patient-level analysis revealed that 60% of patients experienced an improvement in pain. At least half experienced a decrease in pain resulting in MCI in physical functioning. Cutpoint analysis revealed that 48% were responders. Increasing scores on the preoperative pain intensity BPI items, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) Core Symptom Severity Construct, the MDASI Spine Tumor-Specific Construct, the presence of preoperative neurologic deficits, and postoperative complications were associated with lower probability of treatment success while increasing severity in all BPI pain items, and MDASI constructs were associated with increased probability of MCI in physical function. Significant mortality and loss to follow-up intrinsic to this patient population limit the strength of these data.Although patients with milder preoperative symptoms are likely to achieve better pain relief after surgery, patients with worse preoperative symptom also benefit from surgery with adequate pain relief with an improvement in physical function.

Background The role of tumor genomic profiling is rapidly growing as it results in targeted, personalized, cancer therapy. Though routinely used in clinical practice, there are no data exploring the reliability of genomic data obtained from spine metastases samples often leading to multiple biopsies in clinical practice. This study compares the genomic tumor landscape between spinal metastases and the corresponding primary tumors as well as between spinal metastases and visceral metastases. Methods Spine tumor samples, obtained for routine clinical care from 2013 to 2019, were analyzed using MSK-IMPACT, a next-generation sequencing assay. These samples were matched to primary or metastatic tumors from the corresponding patients. A concordance rate for genomic alterations was calculated for matching sample pairs within patients for the primary and spinal metastatic tumor samples as well as for the matching sample pairs within patients for the spinal and visceral metastases. For a more robust and clinically relevant estimate of concordance, subgroup analyses of previously established driver mutations specific to the main primary tumor histologies were performed. Results Eighty-four patients contributed next-generation sequencing data from a spinal metastasis and at least one other site of disease: 54 from the primary tumor, 39 had genomic tumor data from another, nonspinal metastasis, 12 patients participated in both subsets. For the cohort of matched primary tumors and spinal metastases (n = 54) comprised of mixed histologies, we found an average concordance rate of 96.97% for all genetic events, 97.17% for mutations, 100% for fusions, 89.81% for deletions, and 97.01% for amplifications across all matched samples. Notably, >25% of patients harbored at least one genetic variant between samples tested, though not specifically for known driver mutations. The average concordance rate of driver mutations was 96.99% for prostate cancer, 95.69% (P = .0004513) for lung cancer, and 96.43% for breast cancer. An average concordance of 99.02% was calculated for all genetic events between spine metastases and non-spinal metastases (n = 41) and, more specifically, a concordance rate of 98.91% was calculated between spine metastases and liver metastases (n = 12) which was the largest represented group of nonspine metastases. Conclusion Sequencing data performed on spine tumor samples demonstrate a high concordance rate for genetic alterations between the primary tumor and spinal metastasis as well as between spinal metastases and other, visceral metastases, particularly for driver mutations. Spine tumor samples may be reliably used for genomic-based decision making in cancer care, particularly for prostate, NSCLC, and breast cancer.

Spinal metastases are an increasing societal health burden secondary to improvements in systemic therapy. Estimates indicate that 100,000 or more people have symptomatic spine metastases requiring management. While open surgery and external beam radiotherapy have been the pillars of treatment, there is growing interest in more minimally invasive technologies (eg separation surgery) and non-operative interventions (eg percutaneous cementoplasty, stereotactic radiosurgery). The great expansion of these alternatives to open surgery and the prevalence of adjuvant therapeutic options means that treatment decision making is now complex and reliant upon multidisciplinary collaboration. To help facilitate construction of care plans that meet patient goals and expectations, clinical decision aids and prognostic scores have been developed. These have been shown to have superior predictive value relative to more classic prediction models and may become an increasingly important aspect of the clinical practice of spinal oncology. Here we overview current therapeutic advances in the management of spine metastases and highlight emerging areas for research. Given the rapid advancements in surgical technologies and adjuvants, the field is likely to undergo further transformative changes in the coming decade.

Study design General population utility valuation study. Objective The aim of this study was to develop a technique for calculating utilities from the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire v2.0 (SOSGOQ2.0). Summary of background data The ability to calculate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for metastatic spine disease would enhance treatment decision-making and facilitate economic analysis. QALYs are calculated using utilities. Methods Using a hybrid concept-retention and factorial analysis shortening approach, we first shortened the SOSGOQ2.0 to eight items (SOSGOQ-8D). This was done to lessen the cognitive burden of the utility valuation exercise. A general population sample of 2730 adults was then asked to evaluate 12 choice sets based on SOSGOQ-8D health states in a Discrete Choice Experiment. A utility scoring rubric was then developed using a mixed multinomial-logit regression model. Results We were able to reduce the SOSGOQ2.0 to an SOSGOQ-8D with a mean error of 0.003 and mean absolute error of 3.078 compared to the full questionnaire. The regression model demonstrated good predictive performance and was used to develop a utility scoring rubric. Regression results revealed that participants did not regard all SOSGOQ-8D items as equally important. Conclusion We provide a simple technique for converting the SOSGOQ2.0 to utilities. The ability to evaluate QALYs in metastatic spine disease will facilitate economic analysis and patient counseling. We also quantify the importance of individual SOSGOQ-8D items. Clinicians should heed these findings and offer treatments that maximize function in the most important items.Level of Evidence: 3.

OBJECTIVE The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) is a challenging region to stabilize after tumor resection for metastatic spine disease. The objective of this study was to describe the outcomes of patients who underwent posterolateral decompression and instrumented fusion (i.e., separation surgery across the CTJ for instability due to metastatic disease). METHODS The authors performed a single-institution retrospective study of a prospectively collected cohort of patients who underwent single-approach posterior decompression and instrumented fusion across the CTJ for metastatic spine disease between 2011 and 2018. Adult patients (≥ 18 years old) who presented with mechanical instability, myelopathy, and radiculopathy secondary to metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) of the CTJ (C7–T1) from 2011 to 2018 were included. RESULTS Seventy-nine patients were included, with a mean age of 62.1 years. The most common primary malignancies were non–small cell lung (n = 17), renal cell (11), and prostate (8) carcinoma. The median number of levels decompressed and construct length were 3 and 7, respectively. The average operative time, blood loss, and length of stay were 179.2 minutes, 600.5 ml, and 7.7 days, respectively. Overall, 58 patients received adjuvant radiation, and median dose, fractions, and time from surgery were 27 Gy, 3 fractions, and 20 days, respectively. All patients underwent lateral mass and pedicle screw instrumentation. Forty-nine patients had tapered rods (4.0/5.5 mm or 3.5/5.5 mm), 29 had fixed-diameter rods (3.5 mm or 4.0 mm), and 1 had both. Ten patients required anterior reconstruction with poly-methyl-methacrylate. The overall complication rate was 18.8% (6 patients with wound-related complications, 7 with hardware-related complications, 1 with both, and 1 with other). For the 8 patients (10%) with hardware failure, 7 had tapered rods, all 8 had cervical screw pullout, and 1 patient also experienced rod/screw fracture. The average time to hardware failure was 146.8 days. The 2-year cumulative incidence rate of hardware failure was 11.1% (95% CI 3.7%–18.5%). There were 55 deceased patients, and the median (95% CI) overall survival period was 7.97 (5.79–12.60) months. For survivors, the median (range) follow-up was 12.94 (1.94–71.80) months. CONCLUSIONS Instrumented fusion across the CTJ demonstrated an 18.8% rate of postoperative complications and an 11% overall 2-year rate of hardware failure in patients who underwent metastatic epidural tumor decompression and stabilization.

Systemic assessment is a pillar in the neurological, oncological, mechanical, and systemic (NOMS) decision-making framework for the treatment of patients with spinal metastatic disease. Despite this importance, emerging evidence relating systemic considerations to clinical outcomes following surgery for spinal metastatic disease has not been comprehensively summarised. We aimed to conduct a scoping literature review of this broad topic. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases from Jan 1, 2000, to July 31, 2021. 61 articles were included, accounting for a total of 22 335 patients. Preoperative systemic variables negatively associated with postoperative clinical outcomes included demographics (eg, older age [>60 years], Black race, male sex, low or elevated body-mass index, and smoking status), medical comorbidities (eg, cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, endocrine, vascular, and rheumatological), biochemical abnormalities (eg, hypoalbuminaemia, atypical blood cell counts, and elevated C-reactive protein concentration), low muscle mass, generalised motor weakness (American Spinal Cord Injury Association Impairment Scale grade and Frankel grade) and poor ambulation, reduced performance status, and systemic disease burden. This is the first comprehensive scoping review to broadly summarise emerging evidence relevant to the systemic assessment component of the widely used NOMS framework for spinal metastatic disease decision making. Medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists can consider these findings when prognosticating spinal metastatic disease-related surgical outcomes on the basis of patients’ systemic condition. These factors might inform a shared decision-making approach with patients and their families.

BACKGROUND: Historically, symptomatic, benign intradural extramedullary (IDEM) spine tumors have been managed with surgical resection. However, minimal robust data regarding patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following treatment of symptomatic lesions exists. Moreover, there are increasing reports of radiosurgical management of these lesions without robust health-related quality of life data. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively analyze PROs among patients with benign IDEM spine tumors undergoing surgical resection to define the symptomatic efficacy of surgery. METHODS: Prospective, single-center observational cohort study of patients with benign IDEM spine tumors undergoing open surgical resection. Pre- and postoperative Brief Pain Index (BPI) and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) questionnaires were used to quantitatively assess their symptom control after surgical intervention. Matched pairs were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 57 patients met inclusion criteria with both pre- and postoperative PROs. There were 35 schwannomas, 18 meningiomas, 2 neurofibromas, 1 paraganglioma, and 1 mixed schwannoma/neurofibroma. Most patients were American Spinal Injury Association Impairment (ASIA) E (93%) with high-grade spinal cord compression (77%), and underwent either a 2 or 3 level laminectomy (84%). Surgical resection resulted in statistically significant improvement in all 3 composite BPI constructs of pain-severity, pain-interference, and overall patient pain experience (P

Background Over the last 2 decades, advances in systemic therapy have increased the expected overall survival for patients with cancer. It is unclear whether the same survival benefit has been conferred to patients requiring surgery for metastatic spinal disease. Objective To examine trends in postoperative survival over a 20-yr period for patients surgically treated for spinal metastatic disease. Methods Data were obtained for 1515 patients who underwent surgery for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression or tumor-related mechanical instability. Postoperative overall survival was calculated for all included patients using Kaplan-Meier methodology from date of surgery until death or last follow-up for those who were censored. Trends were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results Patients with renal, breast, lung, and colon cancers experienced a statistically significant improvement in survival over time based on the year of surgery (40%-100% improvement over the study period), whereas the overall survival trend for the entire cohort did not reach statistical significance (P = .12, median survival 0.71 yr, 95% CI 0.63-0.78). Patients presenting with synchronous metastatic disease had better survival compared to those presenting with metachronous disease (median overall survival: 0.94 vs 0.63 yr, respectively; log-rank P-value = .00001). Conclusion The postoperative survival among patients with spinal metastases has improved over the past 20 yr, particularly in patients with kidney, breast, lung, and colon tumors metastatic to the spine. The observed survival improvement emphasizes the need for long-term outcome consideration in treatment decisions for patients undergoing surgery for spinal metastatic tumors.

Background As of May 4, 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected >3.5 million people and touched every inhabited continent. Accordingly, it has stressed health systems worldwide, leading to the cancellation of elective surgical cases and discussions regarding health care resource rationing. It is expected that rationing of surgical resources will continue even after the pandemic peak and may recur with future pandemics, creating a need for a means of triaging patients for emergent and elective spine surgery. Methods Using a modified Delphi technique, a cohort of 16 fellowship-trained spine surgeons from 10 academic medical centers constructed a scoring system for the triage and prioritization of emergent and elective spine surgeries. Three separate rounds of videoconferencing and written correspondence were used to reach a final scoring system. Sixteen test cases were used to optimize the scoring system so that it could categorize cases as requiring emergent, urgent, high-priority elective, or low-priority elective scheduling. Results The devised scoring system included 8 independent components: neurologic status, underlying spine stability, presentation of a high-risk postoperative complication, patient medical comorbidities, expected hospital course, expected discharge disposition, facility resource limitations, and local disease burden. The resultant calculator was deployed as a freely available Web-based calculator ( https://jhuspine3.shinyapps.io/SpineUrgencyCalculator/ ). Conclusions We present the first quantitative urgency scoring system for the triage and prioritizing of spine surgery cases in resource-limited settings. We believe that our scoring system, although not all encompassing, has potential value as a guide for triaging spine surgical cases during the COVID pandemic and post-COVID period.

Study Design:Literature review.Objective:To provide an overview of the recent advances in minimal access surgery (MAS) for spinal metastases.Methods:Literature review.Results:Experience gained from MAS in the trauma, degenerative and deformity settings has paved the road for MAS techniques for spinal cancer. Current MAS techniques for the treatment of spinal metastases include percutaneous instrumentation, mini-open approaches for decompression and tumor resection with or without tubular/expandable retractors and thoracoscopy/endoscopy. Cancer care requires a multidisciplinary effort and adherence to treatment algorithms facilitates decision making, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Specific algorithms exist to help guide decisions for MAS for extradural spinal metastases. One major paradigm shift has been the implementation of percutaneous stabilization for treatment of neoplastic spinal instability. Percutaneous stabilization can be enhanced with cement augmentation for increased durability and pain palliation. Unlike osteoporotic fractures, kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are known to be effective therapies for symptomatic pathologic compression fractures as supported by high level evidence. The integration of systemic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases has eliminated the need for aggressive tumor resection allowing implementation of MAS epidural tumor decompression via tubular or expandable retractors and preliminary data exist regarding laser interstitial thermal therapy and radiofrequency ablation for tumor control. Neuronavigation and robotic systems offer increased precision, facilitating the role of MAS for spinal metastases.Conclusions:MAS has a significant role in the treatment of spinal metastases. This review highlights the current utilization of minimally invasive surgical strategies for treatment of spinal metastases.

Innovation in surgical technique and contemporary spinal instrumentation paired with intraoperative navigation/imaging concepts allows for safer and less-invasive surgical approaches. The combination of stereotactic body radiotherapy, contemporary surgical adjuncts, and less-invasive techniques serves to minimize blood loss, soft tissue injury, and length of hospital stay without compromising surgical efficacy, potentially enabling patients to begin adjuvant treatment sooner.

The management of spinal metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is controversial regarding extent of resection and radiation dosing. OBJECTIVE: To determine outcomes in patients treated with hybrid therapy (separation surgery plus adjuvant stereotactic body radiation therapy [SBRT]) for mRCC. METHODS: A retrospective study of a prospectively collected cohort of patients undergoing hybrid therapy for mRCC between 2003 and 2017 was performed. SBRT was delivered as high-dose single-fraction, high-dose hypofractionated, or low-dose hypofractionated. Extent of disease, clinical and operative outcomes, and complications data were collected, and associations with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival were determined. RESULTS: Ninety patients with mRCC with high-grade epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC grades 2 and 3) were treated. Metastases were widespread, oligometastatic, and solitary in 56%, 33%, and 11% of patients, respectively. SBRT delivered was high-dose single-fraction, high-dose hypofractionated, and low-dose hypofractionated in 24%, 56%, and 20% of patients, respectively. The 1-yr cumulative incidence of major complications was 3.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0%-7.2%). The median follow-up was 14.2 mo for the entire cohort and 38.3 mo for survivors. The 1-yr cumulative incidence of progression was 4.6% (95% CI: 0.2%-9.0%), which translates to a local control rate of 95.4% (95% CI: 91.0%-99.8%) 1 yr after surgery. The median OS for the cohort was 14.8 mo. CONCLUSION: These data support the use of hybrid therapy as a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of renal cell spine metastases.

OBJECTIVEThe current treatment of chordomas is associated with significant morbidity, high rates of local recurrence, and the potential for metastases. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as a primary treatment could reduce the need for en bloc resection to achieve wide or marginal margins. Spinal SRS outcomes support the exploration of SRS’s role in the durable control of these conventionally radioresistant tumors. The goal of the study was to evaluate outcomes of patients with primary chordomas treated with spinal SRS alone or in combination with surgery.METHODSClinical records were reviewed for outcomes of patients with primary chordomas of the mobile spine and sacrum who underwent single-fraction SRS between 2006 and 2017. Radiographic local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), symptom response, and toxicity were assessed in relation to the extent of surgery.RESULTSIn total, 35 patients with de novo chordomas of the mobile spine (n = 17) and sacrum (n = 18) received SRS and had a median post-SRS follow-up duration of 38.8 months (range 2.0–122.9 months). The median planning target volume dose was a 24-Gy single fraction (range 18–24 Gy). Overall, 12 patients (34%) underwent definitive SRS and 23 patients (66%) underwent surgery and either neoadjuvant or postoperative adjuvant SRS. Definitive SRS was selectively used to treat both sacral (n = 7) and mobile spine (n = 5) chordomas. Surgical strategies for the mobile spine were either intralesional, gross-total resection (n = 5) or separation surgery (n = 7) and for the sacrum en bloc sacrectomy (n = 11). The 3- and 5-year LRFS rates were 86.2% and 80.5%, respectively. Among 32 patients (91%) receiving 24-Gy radiation doses, the 3- and 5-year LRFS rates were 96.3% and 89.9%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year OS rates were 90.0% and 84.3%, respectively. The symptom response rate to treatment was 88% for pain and radiculopathy. The extent or type of surgery was not associated with LRFS, OS, or symptom response rates (p > 0.05), but en bloc resection was associated with higher surgical toxicity, as measured using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 5.0) classification tool, than epidural decompression and curettage/intralesional resection (p = 0.03). The long-term rate of toxicity ≥ grade 2 was 31%, including 20% grade 3 tissue necrosis, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, myelopathy, fracture, and secondary malignancy.CONCLUSIONSHigh-dose spinal SRS offers the chance for durable radiological control and effective symptom relief with acceptable toxicity in patients with primary chordomas as either a definitive or adjuvant therapy.

OBJECTIVEAs patients with metastatic cancer live longer, an increased emphasis is placed on long-term therapeutic outcomes. The current study evaluates outcomes of long-term cancer survivors following surgery for spinal metastases.METHODSThe study population included patients surgically treated at a tertiary cancer center between January 2010 and December 2015 who survived at least 24 months postoperatively. A retrospective chart and imaging review was performed to collect data regarding patient demographics; tumor histology; type and extent of spinal intervention; radiation data, including treatment dose and field; long-term sequelae, including local tumor control; and reoperations, repeat irradiation, or postoperative kyphoplasty at a previously treated level.RESULTSEighty-eight patients were identified, of whom 44 were male, with a mean age of 61 years. The mean clinical follow-up for the cohort was 44.6 months (range 24.2–88.3 months). Open posterolateral decompression and stabilization was performed in 67 patients and percutaneous minimally invasive surgery in 21. In the total cohort, 84% received postoperative adjuvant radiation and 27% were operated on for progression following radiation. Posttreatment local tumor progression was identified in 10 patients (11%) at the index treatment level and 5 additional patients had a marginal failure; all of these patients were treated with repeat irradiation with 5 patients requiring a reoperation. In total, at least 1 additional surgical intervention was performed at the index level in 20 (23%) of the 88 patients: 11 for hardware failure, 5 for progression of disease, 3 for wound complications, and 1 for postoperative hematoma. Most reoperations (85%) were delayed at more than 3 months from the index surgery. Wound infections or dehiscence requiring additional surgical intervention occurred in 3 patients, all of which occurred more than a year postoperatively. Kyphoplasty at a previously operated level was performed in 3 cases due to progressive fractures.CONCLUSIONSDurable tumor control can be achieved in long-term cancer survivors surgically treated for symptomatic spinal metastases with limited complications. Complications observed after long-term follow-up include local tumor recurrence/progression, marginal tumor control failures, early or late hardware complications, late wound complications, and progressive spinal instability or deformity.

OBJECTIVE: Dedifferentiated chordomas (DC) are genetically and clinically distinct from conventional chordomas (CC), exhibiting frequent SMARCB1 alterations and a more aggressive clinical course. We compared treatment and outcomes of DC and CC patients in a retrospective cohort study from a single, large-volume cancer center. METHODS: Overall, 11 DC patients were identified from 1994 to 2017 along with a cohort of 68 historical control patients with CC treated during the same time frame. Clinical variables and outcomes were collected from the medical record and Wilcoxon rank sum or Fisher exact tests were used to make comparisons between the two groups. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests were used to compare DC and CC overall survival. RESULTS: DC demonstrated a bimodal age distribution at presentation (36% age 0–24; 64% age > 50). DC patients more commonly presented with metastatic disease than CC patients (36% vs. 3% p = 0.000). DC patients had significantly shorter time to local treatment failure after radiation therapy (11.1 months vs. 34.1 months, p = 0.000). The rate of distant metastasis following treatment was significantly higher in DC compared to CC (57% vs. 5%, p = 0.000). The median overall survival after diagnosis for DC was 20 months (95% CI 0–48 months) compared to 155 months (95% CI 94–216 months) for CC (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: DC patients exhibit significantly higher rates of both synchronous and metachronous metastases, as well as shorter overall survival rates compared to conventional chordoma. The relatively poor survival outcomes with conventional therapies indicate the need to study targeted therapies for the treatment of DC.

Beginning with basic stereotactic operative methods in neurosurgery, intraoperative navigation and image guidance systems have since become the norm in that field. Following the introduction of image guidance into spinal surgery, there has been a dramatic increase in its utilization across disciplines and pathologies. Spine tumor surgery encompasses a wide range of complex surgical techniques and treatment strategies. Similarly to deformity correction and trauma surgery, spine navigation holds potential to improve outcomes and optimize surgical technique for spinal tumors. Recent data demonstrate the applicability of neuro-navigation in the field of spinal oncology, particularly for spinal stabilization, maximizing extent of resection and integration of minimally invasive therapies. The rapid introduction of new, less invasive, and ablative surgical techniques in spine oncology coupled with the rising incidence of spinal metastatic disease make it imperative for spine surgeons to be familiar with the indications for and limitations of imaging guidance. Herein, we provide a practical, current concepts narrative review on the use of spinal navigation in three areas of spinal oncology: (a) extent of tumor resection, (b) spinal column stabilization, and (c) focal ablation techniques.

Study Design: Literature review. Objective: To provide an overview of the recent advances in spinal oncology, emphasizing the key role of the surgeon in the treatment of patients with spinal metastatic tumors. Methods: Literature review. Results: Therapeutic advances led to longer survival times among cancer patients, placing significant emphasis on durable local control, optimization of quality of life, and daily function for patients with spinal metastatic tumors. Recent integration of modern diagnostic tools, precision oncologic treatment, and widespread use of new technologies has transformed the treatment of spinal metastases. Currently, multidisciplinary spinal oncology teams include spinal surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, pain and rehabilitation specialists, and interventional radiologists. Consistent use of common language facilitates communication, definition of treatment indications and outcomes, alongside comparative clinical research. The main parameters used to characterize patients with spinal metastases include functional status and health-related quality of life, the spinal instability neoplastic score, the epidural spinal cord compression scale, tumor histology, and genomic profile. Conclusions: Stereotactic body radiotherapy revolutionized spinal oncology through delivery of durable local tumor control regardless of tumor histology. Currently, the major surgical indications include mechanical instability and high-grade spinal cord compression, when applicable, with surgery providing notable improvement in the quality of life and functional status for appropriately selected patients. Surgical trends include less invasive surgery with emphasis on durable local control and spinal stabilization.

Study Design: International multicenter prospective observational cohort study on patients undergoing radiation +/− surgical intervention for the treatment of symptomatic spinal metastases. Objectives: To investigate the association between the total Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS), individual SINS components and PROs. Methods: Data regarding patient demographics, diagnostics, treatment, and PROs (SF-36, SOSGOQ, EQ-5D) was collected at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks post-treatment. The SINS was assessed using routine diagnostic imaging. The association between SINS, PRO at baseline and change in PROs was examined with the Spearmans rank test. Results: A total of 307 patients, including 174 patients who underwent surgery+/− radiotherapy and 133 patients who underwent radiotherapy were eligible for analyses. In the surgery+/− radiotherapy group, 18 (10.3%) patients with SINS score between 0-6, 118 (67.8%) with a SINS between 7-12 and 38 (21.8%) with a SINS between 13-18, as compared to 55 (41.4%) SINS 0-6, 71(53.4%) SINS 7-12 and 7 (5.2%) SINS 13-18 in the radiotherapy alone group. At baseline, the total SINS and the presence of mechanical pain was significantly associated with the SOSGOQ pain domain (r = −0.519, P < 0.001) and the NRS pain score (r = 0.445, P < 0.001) for all patients. The presence of mechanical pain demonstrated to be moderately associated with a positive change in PROs at 12 weeks post-treatment. Conclusion: Spinal instability, as defined by the SINS, was significantly correlated with PROs at baseline and change in PROs post-treatment. Mechanical pain, as a single SINS component, showed the highest correlations with PROs.

Background Effective management of metastatic disease requires multidisciplinary input and entails high risk of disease-related and treatment-related morbidity and mortality. The factors that influence clinician decision-making around spinal metastases are not well understood. We conducted a qualitative study that included a multidisciplinary cohort of physicians to evaluate the decision-making process for treatment of spinal metastases from the clinician's perspective. Methods We recruited operative and nonoperative clinicians, including orthopaedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and physiatrists, from across North America to participate in either a focus group or a semistructured interview. All interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. We then performed a thematic analysis using all of the available transcript data. Investigators sequentially coded transcripts and identified recurring themes that encompass overarching patterns in the data and directly bear on the guiding study question. This was followed by the development of a thematic map that visually portrays the themes, the subthemes, and their interrelatedness, as well as their influence on treatment decision-making. Results The thematic analysis revealed that numerous factors influence provider-based decision-making for patients with spinal metastases, including clinical elements of the disease process, treatment guidelines, patient preferences, and the dynamics of the multidisciplinary care team. The most prominent feature that resonated across all of the interviews was the importance of multidisciplinary care and the necessity of cohesion among a team of diverse health-care providers. Respondents emphasized aspects of care-team dynamics, including effective communication and intimate knowledge of team-member preferences, as necessary for the development of appropriate treatment strategies. Participants maintained that the primary role in decision-making should remain with the patient. Conclusions Numerous factors influence provider-based decision-making for patients with spinal metastases, including multidisciplinary team dynamics, business pressure, and clinician experience. Participants maintained a focus on shared decision-making with patients, which contrasts with patient preferences to defer decisions to the physician, as described in prior work. Clinical relevance The results of this thematic analysis document the numerous factors that influence provider-based decision-making for patients with spinal metastases. Our results indicate that provider decisions regarding treatment are influenced by a combination of clinical characteristics, perceptions of patient quality of life, and the patient's preferences for care.

An improved understanding of tumor biology, the ability to target tumor drivers, and the ability to harness the immune system have dramatically improved the expected survival of patients diagnosed with cancer. However, many patients continue to develop spine metastases that require local treatment with radiotherapy and surgery. Fortunately, the evolution of radiation delivery and operative techniques permits durable tumor control with a decreased risk of treatment-related toxicity and a greater emphasis on restoration of quality of life and daily function. Stereotactic body radiotherapy allows delivery of ablative radiation doses to the majority of spine tumors, reducing the need for surgery. Among patients who still require surgery for decompression of the spinal cord or spinal column stabilization, minimal access approaches and targeted tumor excision and ablation techniques minimize the surgical risk and facilitate postoperative recovery. Growing interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists and clinicians will further elucidate the synergistic possibilities among systemic, radiation, and surgical interventions for patients with spinal tumors and will bring many closer to curative therapies.

BACKGROUND: Minimal access surgery (MAS) allows early return to systemic and radiation therapy in patients with cancer leading to its increasing utilization in the treatment of spinal metastases. Systematic examination of surgical indications resulted in the development of an algorithm for implementation of MAS in the treatment of spinal metastases. The object of this study was to evaluate a spine tumor MAS treatment algorithm using patient-reported outcomes in cancer patients undergoing treatment of spinal metastases. METHODS: A prospective cohort study. Patients who underwent spinal percutaneous instrumented stabilization with the addition of MAS cord or nerve root decompression and/or kyphoplasty when indicated at a tertiary cancer center between December 2013 and August 2016 were included. Validated patient reported outcome (PRO) measures including the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory – Spine module (MDASI-sp) were utilized. PROs were collected and compared at baseline, 3 month and long-term follow up (4.5–12 months). RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were included. MAS resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the severity of pain, and improved activity, ability to work and enjoyment of life (P

Background The treatment of oligometastatic (≤5 metastases) spinal disease has trended toward ablative therapies, yet to the authors' knowledge little is known regarding the prognosis of patients presenting with oligometastatic spinal disease and the value of this approach. The objective of the current study was to compare the survival and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer with oligometastatic spinal disease with those of patients with polymetastatic (>5 metastases) disease. Methods The current study was an international, multicenter, prospective study. Patients who were admitted to a participating spine center with a diagnosis of spinal metastases and who underwent surgical intervention and/or radiotherapy between August 2013 and May 2017 were included. Data collected included demographics, overall survival, local control, and treatment information including surgical, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy details. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures included the EuroQOL 5 dimensions 3-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36v2), and the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSGOQ). Results Of the 393 patients included in the current study, 215 presented with oligometastatic disease and 178 presented with polymetastatic disease. A significant survival advantage of 90.1% versus 77.3% at 3 months and 77.0% versus 65.1% at 6 months from the time of treatment was found for patients presenting with oligometastatic disease compared with those with polymetastatic disease. It is important to note that both groups experienced significant improvements in multiple HRQOL measures at 6 months after treatment, with no differences in these outcome measures noted between the 2 groups. Conclusions The treatment of oligometastatic disease appears to offer a significant survival advantage compared with polymetastatic disease, regardless of treatment choice. HRQOL measures were found to improve in both groups, demonstrating a palliative benefit for all treated patients.

Background Conventional external beam radiation and stereotactic radiosurgery are common radiation techniques used to treat spinal tumors. Intraoperative brachytherapy (BT) may serve as an alternative when other options have been exhausted or as an adjunct in combination with other therapies. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature on BT use in spinal tumor surgery. Methods PubMed and Embase databases were systematically queried for literature reporting the use of BT in the surgical treatment of spinal tumors. PRISMA guidelines were followed. A meta-analysis was performed. Results Of the 203 initial articles queried, 15 studies were included. Of the 370 total patients described, 78% were treated for spine metastases. Indications for BT included tumors refractory to previous treatments and inability to tolerate chemotherapy, radiation, and/or open surgery. Seed placement was the most common method of delivery (58%) compared with plaques (42%). BT was placed during an open procedure in 52%, and of the remaining percutaneous procedures, 47% were combined with cement augmentation. Tumor recurrence rates varied from 13% to 49%. Seven studies reporting visual analog scale scores reported significant improvement in pain control. Conclusions BT was used to treat metastatic disease in patients who failed previous therapies and could not tolerate open surgery or further therapy. This review summarizes the major findings in the available literature pertaining to patient background, indications, and outcomes. Spinal BT seems to be a viable option for spine tumor treatment and should be made available at treating centers.

Surgical decompression and stabilization followed by radiosurgery represents an effective method for local tumor control and neurologic preservation for patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). We have previously demonstrated improvement in health-related quality of life (HrQOL) after this combined modality treatment ("hybrid therapy").The current analysis focuses on delineation of patient-specific prognostic factors predictive of HrQOL change after combined surgery-stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment of MESCC.This is a prospective, single-center, cohort study.One hundred and eleven patients with MESCC who underwent separation surgery followed by SRS were included.Prognostic factors associated with improved patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures.Patient-reported outcome tools, that is, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Spine Tumor (MDASI-SP), both validated in the cancer population, were prospectively collected. Numeric prognostic factors were correlated with PRO measures using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Categorical prognostic factors were correlated with PRO measures using the Wilcoxon two-sample test (for two categories) or the Kruskal-Wallis test (for three or more categories). All statistical tests were two-sided with a level of significance.05 for correlation of prognostic factors with PRO constructs and a level of significance.0014 for correlation of prognostic factors with PRO items. Statistical analyses were done in SAS (version 9.4, Cary, NC, USA).One hundred and eleven patients were included in this analysis. Patients with lower preoperative Medical Research Council (MRC) motor scores experienced a greater decrease in symptom interference (BPI interference construct (p=.03) and individual functional measures including general activity (p=.001), walking (p=.001), and normal work (p=.006)). Lumbar location was associated with better outcomes than cervical or thoracic as noted on the BPI pain experience construct (p=.03) and MDASI-SP interference (p=.01) and core symptom (p=.002) constructs. Patients with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scores of C or D benefit more than those with ASIA E on BPI interference construct (p=.04). Patients with higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores at presentation benefit more than those with low ECOG scores on MDASI-SP interference construct (p=.03). Women benefit more than men on BPI interference (p=.03) and pain experience (p=.04) constructs. Patients with prior spinal surgery at the current level of interest benefit less than those who are naïve surgical patients in MDASI-SP interference construct (p=.04).Delineation of patient characteristics associated with HrQOL improvement provides crucial information for patient selection, patient education, and setting treatment expectations. For patients with MESCC treated with hybrid therapy using surgery and radiosurgery, the presence of neurologic deficits and diminished performance status, lumbar tumor level, and female gender were associated with greater PRO improvement.

Background Chordomas are rare primary bone tumors that arise from the axial skeleton. Our objective was to analyze trends in radiation and surgery over time and determine location-based survival predictors for chordomas of the skull base, mobile spine, and sacrum. Methods A retrospective cohort study of the SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) database from 1973 to 2013 was conducted. All patients had histologically confirmed chordomas. The principal outcome measure was overall survival (OS). Results The cohort included 1616 patients: skull base (664), mobile spine (444), and sacrum (508). Skull base tumors presented earliest in life (47.4 years) and sacral tumors presented latest (62.7 years). Rates of radiation remained stable for skull base and mobile spine tumors but declined for sacral tumors (P = 0.006). Rates of surgical resection remained stable for skull base and sacral tumors but declined for mobile spine tumors (P = 0.046). Skull base chordomas had the longest median survival (162 months) compared with mobile spine (94 months) and sacral tumors (87 months). Being married was independently associated with improved OS for skull base tumors (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.53–0.99; P = 0.044). Surgical resection was independently associated with improved OS for sacral chordomas (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.34–0.69; P Conclusions Surgical resection for mobile spine chordomas and radiation for sacral chordomas decreased over time. Patients with skull base tumors survived longer than did patients with mobile spine and sacral chordomas, and surgical resection was associated with improved survival in sacral chordomas only. Understanding the behavior of these tumors can help cranial and spinal surgeons improve treatment in this patient population.

OBJECTIVESpinal stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an attractive method to deliver high doses of radiation to oligometastatic spinal tumors with radioresistant histology. Because SBRT is a palliative therapy, attention to potential radiation toxicities is paramount when counseling patients. The objective of this study was to report radiation-induced myositis after SBRT, a previously undescribed complication.METHODSA total of 667 patients received 891 spine SBRT treatments (either 24 Gy in 1 fraction or 27 Gy in 3 fractions) from 2011 to 2016 and underwent retrospective review. Eleven patients were identified as having radiographic evidence of myositis following SBRT. Clinical and pathologic results were collected, including receipt of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, radiation dose, equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions (EQD2), biologically effective dose (BED), and volume of muscle treated. Treatment toxicities were classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE; version 4.03). Univariate statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationships between radiation fractionation schedule and myositis and between anti-VEGF therapy and myositis.RESULTSThe cumulative incidence of myositis was 1.9% at 1 year. The median of the mean dose administered to muscle with myositis was 17.5 Gy. The median EQD2 was 55.1 Gy, and the median BED was 82.7 Gy. The median time to the development of clinical symptoms was 1.4 months, while the median time to imaging evidence was 4.7 months. Two patients (18.2%) had CTCAE grade 3 complications. Single-fraction spine SBRT (HR 4.5, 95% CI 1.2–16.9; p = 0.027) was associated with increased risk of developing myositis whereas receipt of anti-VEGF therapy was not (HR 2.2, 95% CI 0.6–7.1; p = 0.2).CONCLUSIONSRadiation myositis following spinal radiosurgery is a rare but important complication. Single-fraction treatment schedules may be associated with increased risk of myositis but should be validated in a larger series.

OBJECTIVEMyxopapillary ependymoma is a benign WHO Grade I tumor most commonly located in the conus–cauda equina region of the spine. Although this tumor is defined by an overall excellent survival, dissemination throughout the whole neuraxis occurs frequently. The current study evaluated the clinical characteristics and significance of myxopapillary ependymoma metastases.METHODSPatients who underwent surgery from 2005 to 2015 for treatment of spinal myxopapillary ependymoma were included in the study. Charts were reviewed for primary tumor symptoms and initial treatment, local recurrence, response to salvage therapy, and presence and behavior of distant metastases.RESULTSNineteen patients with spinal myxopapillary ependymoma were included in the study (52.6% female). The median age at first diagnosis was 32 years old (range 9–58 years old), and 26.3% were ≤ 18 years old. The median follow-up of all included patients was 48 months (range 6–456 months). Of the primary tumors, 84.2% were located in the lower thoracic or upper lumbar spine, spanning 1–3 levels in 94.7%. All patients underwent surgery for initial treatment: in 78.9% a gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved, with adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in 20%. Of the 21.2% who underwent a subtotal resection (STR), 75% underwent postoperative RT. Tumor progression was noted in 26.3% of patients after a median 36-month follow-up (range 12–240 months). In 57.9% of patients, distant metastases were found, of which 36.4% were present at initial diagnosis. Further metastases occurred within a median of 20 months (range 2–360 months). Following a diagnosis of metastatic tumor, 72.7% did not show progression and no symptoms were observed during a median follow-up of 36 months (range 6–216 months). Metastases occurred in all parts of the neuroaxis, but were principally localized in the thoracic and sacral spine in 38.9% and 33.3%, respectively; the brain was involved in 11.1%. In 54.5%, more than 1 level was affected. Overall survival was 100% with an excellent clinical and neurological outcome in 78.9% of cases.CONCLUSIONSMetastatic dissemination within the CNS can be observed in many patients with myxopapillary ependymoma. GTR of the primary tumor should be the primary treatment goal, and additional RT is recommended after STR. For distant metastases of myxopapillary ependymoma without clinical manifestation, close clinical and MRI follow-up represents a sufficient strategy because most of the metastases remain asymptomatic and do not show progression over time. Additional resection or irradiation as salvage therapy would be recommended if metastases become symptomatic.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of kyphoplasty treatment prior to spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with spine metastases.METHODSA retrospective review of charts, radiology reports, and images was performed for all patients who received SRS (single fraction; either standalone or post-kyphoplasty) at a large tertiary cancer center between January 2012 and July 2015. Patient and tumor variables were documented, as well as treatment planning data and dosimetry. To measure the photon scatter due to polymethyl methacrylate, megavolt photon beam attenuation was determined experimentally as it passed through a kyphoplasty cement phantom. Corrected electron density values were recalculated and compared with uncorrected values.RESULTSOf 192 treatment levels in 164 unique patients who underwent single-fraction SRS, 17 (8.8%) were treated with kyphoplasty prior to radiation delivery to the index level. The median time from kyphoplasty to SRS was 22 days. Four of 192 treatments (2%) demonstrated local tumor recurrence or progression at the time of analysis. Of the 4 local failures, 1 patient had kyphoplasty prior to SRS. This recurrence occurred 18 months after SRS in the setting of widespread systemic disease and spinal tumor progression. Dosimetric review demonstrated a lower than average treatment dose for this case compared with the rest of the cohort. There were no significant differences in dosimetry analysis between the group of patients who underwent kyphoplasty prior to SRS and the remaining patients in the cohort. A preliminary analysis of polymethyl methacrylate showed that dosimetric errors due to uncorrected electron density values were insignificant.CONCLUSIONSIn cases without epidural spinal cord compression, stabilization with cement augmentation prior to SRS is safe and does not alter the efficacy of the radiation or preclude physicians from adhering to SRS planning and contouring guidelines.

Study Design:Retrospective Cohort Study.Objective:Octogenarians living with spinal metastases are a challenging population to treat. Our objective was to identify the rate, types, management, and predictors of complications and survival in octogenarians following surgery for spinal metastases.Methods:A retrospective review of a prospectively collected cohort of patients aged 80 years or older who underwent surgery for metastatic spinal tumor treatment between 2008 and 2019 were included. Demographic, intraoperative, complications, and postoperative follow-up data was collected. Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression were used to associate variables with overall survival and postoperative complications, respectively.Results:78 patients (mean 83.6 years) met inclusion criteria. Average operative time and blood loss were 157 minutes and 615 mL, respectively. The median length of stay was 7 days. The overall complication rate was 31% (N = 24), with 21% considered major and 7% considered life-threatening or fatal. Blood loss was significantly associated with postoperative complications (OR = 1.002; P = 0.02) and mortality (HR = 1.0007; P = 0.04). Significant associations of increased risk of death were also noted with surgeries with decompression, and cervical/cervicothoracic index level of disease. For deceased patients, median time to death was 4.5 months. For living patients, median follow-up was 14.5 months. The Kaplan-Meier based median overall survival for the cohort was 11.6 months (95% CI: 6.2-19.1).Conclusions:In octogenarians undergoing surgery with instrumentation for spinal metastases, the median overall survival is 11.6 months. There is an increased complication rate, but only 7% are life-threatening or fatal. Patients are at increased risk for complications and mortality particularly when performing decompression with stabilization, with increasing intraoperative blood loss, and with cervical/cervicothoracic tumors.

Systematic review.The objective of this systematic review was to answer 2 key questions: (1) What is the clinical presentation and probability of symptomatic improvement following treatment for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the spine? (2) What is the overall survival of patients diagnosed with spinal metastases from RCC?A literature review was performed to identify articles that reported on survival, clinical outcomes, and/or prognostic factors in the RCC population with spinal metastases from 1986 to 2016.Forty-eight articles (807 patients) were included. The Fuhrman Nuclear Grade has been significantly associated with survival in previous studies but was underpowered in the current study. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Score (MSKCC/Motzer) was also underpowered in the current study. From the time of spinal metastasis, the mean and median survival for patients with previously diagnosed primary RCC was 8.75 and 11.7 months, respectively, whereas synchronously diagnosed patients (primary RCC and spinal metastasis) had a mean and median survival of 6.75 and 11 months, respectively. Patients with a "low" (0-8), "intermediate" (9-11), or "high" (12-15) revised Tokuhashi score at initial presentation had a median survival of 5.4, 11.7, and 32.9 months, respectively.Patients with either a synchronous or latent diagnosis of RCC survived greater than 6 months from the time of presentation. Initial Furhman grade, Tokuhashi score, and MSKCC/Motzer can be useful tools in informing patient-specific prognosis for those with metastatic RCC of the spine.

OBJECTIVEThe authors of this study aimed to identify the incidence of and risk factors for preoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing surgical treatment for spinal metastases.METHODSUnivariate analysis of patient age, sex, ethnicity, laboratory values, comorbidities, preoperative ambulatory status, histopathological classification, spinal level, and surgical details was performed. Factors significantly associated with DVT univariately were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model.RESULTSThe authors identified 314 patients, of whom 232 (73.9%) were screened preoperatively for a DVT. Of those screened, 22 (9.48%) were diagnosed with a DVT. The screened patients were older (median 62 vs 55 years, p = 0.0008), but otherwise similar in baseline characteristics. Nonambulatory status, previous history of DVT, lower partial thromboplastin time, and lower hemoglobin level were statistically significant and independent factors associated with positive results of screening for a DVT. Results of screening were positive in only 6.4% of ambulatory patients in contrast to 24.4% of nonambulatory patients, yielding an odds ratio of 4.73 (95% CI 1.88–11.90). All of the patients who had positive screening results underwent preoperative placement of an inferior vena cava filter.CONCLUSIONSPatients requiring surgery for spinal metastases represent a population with unique risks for venous thromboembolism. This study showed a 9.48% incidence of DVT in patients screened preoperatively. The highest rates of preoperative DVT were identified in nonambulatory patients, who were found to have a 4-fold increase in the likelihood of harboring a DVT. Understanding the preoperative thrombotic status may provide an opportunity for early intervention and risk stratification in this critically ill population.

Background Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) represent an important measure of cancer therapy effect. For patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC), hybrid therapy using separation surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery preserves neurologic function and provides tumor control. There is currently a paucity of data reporting PRO after such combined modality therapy for MESCC. Delineation of hybrid surgery–radiosurgery therapy effect on PRO validates the hybrid approach as an effective therapy resulting in meaningful symptom relief. Patients and Methods Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and MD Anderson Symptom Inventory—Spine Tumor (MDASI-SP), PROs validated in the cancer population, were prospectively collected. Patients with MESCC who underwent separation surgery followed by stereotactic radiosurgery were included. Separation surgery included a posterolateral approach without extensive cytoreductive tumor excision. A median postoperative radiosurgery dose of 2700 cGy was delivered. The change in PRO 3 months after the hybrid therapy represented the primary study outcome. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for matched pairs. Results One hundred eleven patients were included. Hybrid therapy resulted in a significant reduction in the BPI items “worst” and “right now” pain (P < .0001), and in all BPI constructs (severity, interference with daily activities, and pain experience, P < .001). The MDASI-SP demonstrated reduction in spine-specific pain severity and interference with general activity (P < .001), along with decreased symptom interference (P < .001). Conclusions Validated PRO instruments showed that in patients with MESCC, hybrid therapy with separation surgery and radiosurgery results in a significant decrease in pain severity and symptom interference. These prospective data confirm the benefit of hybrid therapy for treatment of MESCC and should facilitate referral of patients with MESCC for surgical evaluation.

Patients with metastatic disease including polymetastatic, oligometastatic, and oligorecurrent spinal lesions have extended life expectancy secondary to improvements in systemic agents, and thus require durable local control of spine metastases. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), which uses highly conformal treatment planning techniques coupled with image-guided technology, has enabled the safe delivery of tumor-ablative doses of radiotherapy. The NOMS decision framework has been developed as a tool to aid in the determination of the optimal treatment of spinal metastases, incorporating radiosurgery, separation surgery, stabilization techniques, and conventional radiation. Tumor radiosensitivity is critical in determining appropriateness of radiosurgery. In general, higher radiation doses provide significant, more durable tumor control, whether single-fraction or hypofractionated regimens are used. Spine SBRT can provide a high likelihood of durable tumor control with very low rates of serious toxicity, and careful attention should be given to dose constraints of organs at risk. Here, we review the indications for spine SBRT via the NOMS decision framework and provide practical information to the radiation oncologist regarding spine radiosurgery.

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is an oncologic emergency requiring prompt treatment to maximize neurologic function, ambulatory function and local control. Traditionally, options for MESCC included external beam radiation therapy with or without surgery. Surgery has usually been reserved for the patient with optimal performance status, single level MESCC or mechanical instability. Advances in external beam radiation therapy such as the development of stereotactic body radiation therapy have allowed for the delivery of high-dose radiation, allowing for both long-term pain and local control. Surgical advances, such as separation surgery, minimal access spine surgery and percutaneous instrumentation, have decreased surgical morbidity. This review summarizes the latest advances and evidence in MESCC to enable modern management.

Study Design: Systematic review. Objective: Surgical decompression and reconstruction of symptomatic spinal metastases has improved the quality of life in cancer patients. However, most data has been collected on cohorts of patients with mixed tumor histopathology. We systematically reviewed the literature for prognostic factors specific to the surgical treatment of prostate metastases to the spine. Methods: A systemic review of the literature was conducted to answer the following questions: Question 1. Describe the survival and functional outcomes of surgery or vertebral augmentation for prostate metastases to the spine. Question 2. Determine whether overall tumor burden, Gleason score, preoperative functional markers, and hormonal naivety favor operative intervention. Question 3. Establish whether clinical outcomes vary with the evolution of operative techniques. Results: A total of 16 studies met the preset inclusion criteria. All included studies were retrospective series with a level of evidence of IV. Included studies consistently showed a large effect of hormone-naivety on overall survival. Additionally, studies consistently demonstrated an improvement in motor function and the ability to maintain/regain ambulation following surgery resulting in moderate strength of recommendation. All other parameters were of insufficient or low strength. Conclusions: There is a dearth of literature regarding the surgical treatment of prostate metastases to the spine, which represents an opportunity for future research. Based on existing evidence, it appears that the surgical treatment of prostate metastases to the spine has consistently favorable results. While no consistent preoperative indicators favor nonoperative treatment, hormone-naivety and high Karnofsky performance scores have positive effects on survival and clinical outcomes.

Systematic review.We conducted a systematic review of the literature to answer the following questions regarding the use of steroid therapy in metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC): 1. In cases of MSCC, what is the effect of steroid administration before definitive radiotherapy or surgery on ambulatory status, bowel and bladder function and survival? 2. What steroid dosing regimens are associated with the best outcomes concerning neurological symptoms and complication prevention in cases of MSCC?Currently, there is significant variation in the initial bolus dose, daily maintenance dose and duration of treatment when steroids are used as a bridge to definitive therapy for MSCC.A literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted in June 2016, using Medline via Ovid SP, Medline via PubMed, Embase, Biosis Previews and the Cochrane Library. Search terms used in each database varied slightly to optimize results. All generic steroid formulations were included along with spinal cord compression or myelopathy combined with metastatic or malignant tumors. Papers discussing acute traumatic causes of spinal cord compression were excluded, as were papers discussing cord compression from nonmetastatic tumors or epidural lipomatosis. Subjects were limited to adult humans undergoing definitive treatment with radiotherapy or surgery.Of the 309 papers retrieved, 66 full text studies were reviewed and 6 papers were found to address the stated questions.There is a paucity of high quality literature evaluating the use of steroids in MSCC. On the basis of the evidence available an initial 10 mg intravenous bolus of dexamethasone followed by 16 mg PO QD has been associated with fewer complications compared with 100 mg bolus and 96 mg QD. Weaning of steroids should occur rapidly after definitive treatment. Risk of gastric bleeding or perforation can be managed with the routine use of proton-pump inhibitors.Level IIIa.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has become an increasingly popular treatment modality for spinal tumors due to its noninvasive and targeted approach. Whether SRS has the promise of relieving pretreatment symptoms and providing local tumor control for patients with intradural spine tumors is still debated. This review explores the current literature on SRS treatment for both metastatic and benign intradural tumors, with a focus on differential use for intramedullary and intradural extramedullary neoplasms. Although mortality rates from underlying malignant disease remain high, SRS may benefit patients with spinal metastatic lesions. Benign tumors have shown a promising response to SRS therapy with low rates of complications. Larger studies are necessary to determine the indications and outcome profile of SRS for intradural spinal neoplasms.