Radiotherapy concepts for spinal metastases-results from an online survey among radiation oncologists of the German Society for Radiation Oncology.

PURPOSE: Spinal metastases (SM) are a common radiotherapy (RT) indication. There is limited level I data to drive decision making regarding dose regimen (DR) and target volume definition (TVD). We aim to depict the patterns of care for RT of SM among German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) members. METHODS: An online survey on conventional RT and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for SM, distributed via e­mail to all DEGRO members, was completed by 80 radiation oncologists between February 24 and April 29, 2022. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. RESULTS: A variety of DR was frequently used for conventional RT (primary: n = 15, adjuvant: n = 14). 30 Gy/10 fractions was reported most frequently. TVD in adjuvant RT was heterogenous, with a trend towards larger volumes. SBRT was offered in 65% (primary) and 21% (adjuvant) of participants' institutions. A variety of DR was reported (primary: n = 40, adjuvant: n = 27), most commonly 27 Gy/3 fractions and 30 Gy/5 fractions. 59% followed International Consensus Guidelines (ICG) for TVD. CONCLUSION: We provide a representative depiction of RT practice for SM among DEGRO members. DR and TVD are heterogeneous. SBRT is not comprehensively practiced, especially in the adjuvant setting. Further research is needed to provide a solid data basis for detailed recommendations.

Changes in Spinal Instability After Conventional Radiotherapy for Painful Vertebral Bone Metastases.

OBJECTIVE: Precise assessment of spinal instability is critical before and after radiotherapy (RT) for evaluating the effectiveness of RT. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of RT in spinal instability over a period of 6 months after RT, utilizing the spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) in patients with painful spinal metastasis. We retrospectively evaluated 108 patients who received RT for painful vertebral metastasis in our institution. Mechanical pain at metastatic vertebrae, radiological responses of irradiated vertebrae, and spinal instability were assessed. Follow-up assessments were done at the start of and at intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after RT, with the pain disappearing in 67%, 85%, 93%, 97%, and 100% of the patients, respectively. The median SINS were 8, 6, 6, 5, 5, and 4 at the beginning and after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months of RT, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that posterolateral involvement of spinal elements (PLISE) was the only risk factor for continuous potentially unstable/unstable spine at 1 month. In conclusion, there was improvement of pain, and recalcification results in regaining spinal stability over time after RT although vertebral body collapse and malalignment occur in some irradiated vertebrae. Clinicians should pay attention to PLISE in predicting continuous potentially unstable/unstable spine.

Application of the NSE score (Neurology-Stability-Epidural compression assessment) to establish the need for surgery in spinal metastases of elderly patients: a multicenter investigation.

PURPOSE: This retropective multicentric study aims to investigate the clinical applicability of the NSE score in the elderly, to verify the role of this tool as an easy help for decision making also for this class of patients. METHODS: All elderly patients (> 65 years) suffering from spinal metastases undergoing surgical or non-surgical treatment at the authors' Institutions between 2015 and 2022 were recruited. An agreement group (AG) and non-agreement group (NAG) were identified accordingly to the agreement between the NSE score indication and the performed treatment. Neurological status and axial pain were evaluated for both groups at follow-up (3 and 6 months). The same analysis was conducted specifically grouping patients older than 75 years. RESULTS: A strong association with improvement or preservation of clinical status (p < 0.001) at follow-up was obtained in AG. The association was not statistically significant in NAG at the 3-month follow-up (p 1.00 and 0.07 respectively) and at 6 months (p 0.293 and 0.09 respectively). The group of patients over 75 years old showed similar results in terms of statistical association between the agreement group and better outcomes. CONCLUSION: Far from the need or the aim to build dogmatic algorithms, the goal of preserving a proper performance status plays a key role in a modern oncological management: functional outcomes of the multicentric study group showed that the NSE score represents a reliable tool to establish the need for surgery also for elderly patients.

Preoperative embolisation of renal cell carcinoma metastases to the spine - evaluation of procedural and clinical outcome.

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the fourth most common metastatic tumour of the spine. RCC metastases are highly vascular and might cause life-threatening intraoperative bleeding. That is why preoperative embolisation is performed to reduce intraoperative blood loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the procedural and clinical outcomes of preoperative embolisation of RCC metastases to the vertebral column. Material and methods: In this single-centre retrospective study, data of 59 consecutive patients undergoing endovascular treatment prior to surgical resection were collected and evaluated. In all cases superselective catheterisation and occlusion of feeding vessels was attempted and performed if deemed safe and possible. Completeness of embolisation, procedural details, and the complication rate were evaluated. Surgical procedures were carried out within 48 hours after embolisation. The surgical approach was dependent on the anatomical site and osseous destruction. Intraoperative blood loss was estimated. Results: Fifty-nine patients with a mean age of 63 years were included. Complete embolisation was successful in 76% (45/59) and partial in 15% (9/59). Microspheres were the most commonly used embolic material. In 5 cases (8%) safe occlusion was not possible due to the radiculomedullary artery originating from the same pedicle as the tumour. Minor complications (vomiting, increased pain) occurred in 8 patients. Paraplegia (one transient and one permanent) was noted in 2 cases. Estimated intraoperative blood loss was 830 ± 410 ml. Conclusions: The results of our study show that preoperative embolisation is a feasible and effective method with a relatively high rate of occlusion and low complication rate.

Mini-open compared with the trans-tubular approach in patients with spinal metastases underwent decompression surgery---a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the perioperative safety and efficacy of the Mini-open and trans-tubular approach in patients with spinal metastases who underwent decompression surgery. METHODS: 37 consecutive patients with spinal metastases who underwent decompression surgery through a Mini-open or trans-tubular approach were retrospectively reviewed between June 2017 and June 2022. Thirty-four patients were included in this study. 19 underwent decompression surgery through the Mini-open approach, and 15 underwent the Trans-tubular approach. T-test and chi-square test were used to evaluate the difference between baseline data and primary and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between Trans-tubular and Mini-open groups except for the Ambulatory status (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in blood loss between the two groups (P = 0.061). Operative time, intraoperative blood transfusion, intraoperative complication (dural tear), and postoperative hospitalization were comparable in the two groups (P > 0.05). The trans-tubular group had significantly less amount of postoperative drainage (133.5 ± 30.9 ml vs. 364.5 ± 64.2 ml, p = 0.003), and the time of drainage (3.1 ± 0.2 days vs. 4.6 ± 0.5 days, p = 0.019) compared with Mini-open group (P < 0.05). Sub-group analysis showed that for patients with hypo-vascular tumors, the Trans-tubular group had significantly less blood loss than the Mini-open group (951.1 ± 171.7 ml vs. 1599.1 ± 105.7 ml, P = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Decompression through Mini-open or Trans-tubular was safe and effective for patients with spinal metastases. The trans-tubular approach might be more suitable for patients with hypo-vascular tumors.

An effective kinase inhibition strategy for metastatic recurrent childhood medulloblastoma.

PURPOSE: Medulloblastomas (MBs) constitute the most common malignant brain tumor in children and adolescents. MYC-amplified Group 3 MBs are characterized by disease recurrence, specifically in the leptomeninges, whereby patients with these metastatic tumors have a mortality rate nearing 100%. Despite limited research on such tumors, studies on MB metastases at diagnosis suggest targeting kinases to be beneficial. METHODS: To identify kinase inhibitors that eradicate cells driving therapy evasion and tumor dissemination, we utilized our established patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse-adapted therapy platform that models human MB metastatic recurrences following standard chemoradiotherapy. High-throughput screens of 640 kinase inhibitors were conducted against cells isolated from mouse spines in the PDX model and human fetal neural stem cells to reveal compounds that targeted these treatment-refractory, metastatic cells, whilst sparing healthy cells. Blood-brain barrier permeability assays and additional in vitro experimentation helped select top candidates for in vivo studies. RESULTS: Recurrent Group 3 MB PDX spine cells were therapeutically vulnerable to a selective checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitor and small molecular inhibitor of platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRß). Inhibitor-treated cells showed a significant reduction in MB stem cell properties associated with treatment failure. Mice also demonstrated survival advantage when treated with a CHK1 inhibitor ex vivo. CONCLUSION: We identified CHK1 and PDGFRß inhibitors that effectively target MB cells fueling treatment-refractory metastases. With limited research on effective therapies for Group 3 MB metastatic recurrences, this work highlights promising therapeutic options to treat these aggressive tumors. Additional studies are warranted to investigate these inhibitors' mechanisms and recommended in vivo administration.

Patient Expectations About Palliative Treatment for Symptomatic Spinal Metastases: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with spinal metastases often receive palliative surgery or radiation therapy to maintain or improve health-related quality of life. Patients with unrealistic expectations regarding treatment outcomes have been shown to be less satisfied with their post-treatment health status. This study evaluated expectations of patients with spinal metastases scheduled for surgery and/or radiation therapy. METHODS: Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with symptomatic spinal metastases before and 6 weeks after surgery and/or radiation therapy. Expectations regarding treatment outcomes were discussed before treatment, and level of fulfillment of these pretreatment expectations was discussed after treatment. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed according to the thematic analysis method to identify themes. RESULTS: Before treatment, patients thought they were not, or minimally, informed about (expected) treatment outcomes, but they felt well informed about treatment procedures and possible complications. Although patients expected pain relief and improvement in daily functioning, they found it difficult to describe any recovery timeline or the impact of these expected improvements on their daily life. Patients generally understood that treatment was not curative, but lacked insight into the impact of treatment on life expectancy given that this was hardly discussed by their surgeon and/or radiation oncologist. Pretreatment expectations regarding pain and daily functioning were only partially met in most patients post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients thought they were not, or only minimally, informed about expected outcomes after surgery and/or radiation therapy for symptomatic spinal metastases. Improvements in patient-physician communication and counseling could help guide patients toward realistic pretreatment expectations.

The efficacy of laser interstitial thermal therapy in the management of spinal metastases: a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: In the last years, laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has started to be used also in neurosurgical setting. Its efficacy for intracranial pathologies, namely, tumors and epilepsy, has been widely demonstrated. However, the literature evidences about the use of LITT for spinal lesions are recent, and it is still a topic of discussion regarding its efficacy. Here, the authors sought to present a systematic review of the literature investigating the utility of LITT for spinal lesions. METHODS: Using PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, the authors performed a systematic review of the literature focused on the use of spinal laser interstitial thermal therapy (sLITT). Included in the search were randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and clinical series. Two independent reviewers conducted the study appraisal, data abstraction, and quality assessments of the studies. RESULTS: Out of the initial 134 studies, 6 met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, resulting in a total of 206 patients. All the patients have been treated with sLITT for compressive spinal metastases. Most of the lesions were thoracic (88.8%). All the studies reported an effective local control of the disease with a reduction of epidural compression at 30 days. Complication rate was 12.6%, but most of them were transient conditions, and only 3.4% patients needed a revision surgery. CONCLUSION: sLITT is safe and provides effective local control for epidural compression from metastases, particularly in the thoracic spine. The authors propose considering sLITT as an alternative to open surgery in selected patients with spinal metastases.

Prognostic factors and outcomes of surgical intervention for patients with spinal metastases secondary to lung cancer: an update systematic review and meta analysis.

PURPOSE: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. Most patients develop spinal metastases during the course of cancer and suffer skeletal-related events. Currently, no consensus has been reached on the prognostic factors in patients undergoing surgeries. This study aimed to answer two questions: (1) what are the effects of surgical intervention, and (2) what are the factors associated with postoperative survival. METHODS: Searches were performed on electronic databases including PubMed, Ovid/MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Scopus for articles published before February of 2022, involving the survival factors of patients with spinal metastasis. Multiple data items were considered, such as baseline demographics, surgical details, clinical outcome, and prognostic factors. The analysis was performed in Review Manager (RevMan) 5.5. The prognostic factors of survival were analyzed with univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Finally, 14 studies with 813 patients were identified. Their 6, 12, and 24 months survival rates ranged from 18 to 58%, 18 to 22.4%, and 0 to 58.5%, respectively. The pooled hazard ratio of preoperative ambulatory status and the number of involved vertebrae demonstrated statistical significance, while no significant prognostic effect on the overall survival was found for targeted therapy, visceral metastases, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or postoperative ambulatory status. CONCLUSION: Overall, surgical intervention could achieve significant pain relief and neurological function improvements. For patients receiving surgery for spinal metastasis from lung cancer, preoperative ambulatory status and the number of involved vertebrae were significant prognostic factors associated with their survival.

Spinal tumours: recommendations of the Polish Society of Spine Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncology, the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons, the Polish Society of Oncologic Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncologic Radiotherapy, and the Polish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology.

PURPOSE: The purpose of these recommendations is to spread the available evidence for evaluating and managing spinal tumours among clinicians who encounter such entities. METHODS: The recommendations were developed by members of the Development Recommendations Group representing seven stakeholder scientific societies and organizations of specialists involved in various forms of care for patients with spinal tumours in Poland. The recommendations are based on data yielded from systematic reviews of the literature identified through electronic database searches. The strength of the recommendations was graded according to the North American Spine Society's grades of recommendation for summaries or reviews of studies. RESULTS: The recommendation group developed 89 level A-C recommendations and a supplementary list of institutions able to manage primary malignant spinal tumours, namely, spinal sarcomas, at the expert level. This list, further called an appendix, helps clinicians who encounter spinal tumours refer patients with suspected spinal sarcoma or chordoma for pathological diagnosis, surgery and radiosurgery. The list constitutes a basis of the network of expertise for the management of primary malignant spinal tumours and should be understood as a communication network of specialists involved in the care of primary spinal malignancies. CONCLUSION: The developed recommendations together with the national network of expertise should optimize the management of patients with spinal tumours, especially rare malignancies, and optimize their referral and allocation within the Polish national health service system.

Clinical evaluation of vertebral body replacement of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone in patients with tumor manifestation of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

PURPOSE: Radiolucent anterior and posterior implants by carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR PEEK) aim to improve treatment of primary and secondary tumors of the spine during the last years. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiological outcomes after dorsoventral instrumentation using a CFR PEEK implant in a cohort of patients representing clinical reality. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with tumor manifestation of the thoracic and lumbar spine underwent vertebral body replacement (VBR) using an expandable CFR PEEK implant between January 2021 and January 2022. Patient outcome, complications, and radiographic follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: A consecutive series aged 65.8 ± 14.7 (27.6-91.2) years were treated at 37 vertebrae of tumor manifestation, including two cases (8.0%) of primary tumor as well as 23 cases (92.0%) of spinal metastases. Overall, 26 cages covering a median of 1 level (1-4) were implanted. Duration of surgery was 134 ± 104 (65-576) min, with a blood loss of 792 ± 785 (100-4000) ml. No intraoperative cage revision was required. Surgical complications were reported in three (12.0%) cases including hemothorax in two cases (one intraoperative, one postoperative) and atrophic wound healing disorder in one case. In two cases (8.0%), revision surgery was performed (fracture of the adjacent tumorous vertebrae, progressive construct failure regarding cage subsidence). No implant failure was observed. CONCLUSION: VBR using CFR PEEK cages represents a legitimate surgical strategy which opens a variety of improvements-especially in patients in need of postoperative radiotherapy of the spine and MRI-based follow-up examinations.

Dosimetric evaluation of a spinal cord dose-limiting 3D-CRT technique for radiotherapy of spinal metastases.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the possible advantages of a simple spinal cord (SC) dose-limiting three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) technique in comparison to conventional two-dimensional (2D) techniques and other 3D-CRT techniques for spinal bone irradiation. METHODS: For 41 spinal target volumes, seven different techniques were evaluated, using a standard schedule of 30 Gy in 10 fractions. The SC dose-limiting 3D-CRT technique 1F2S-18MV using a single posterior field (F) supplemented by two anterior segment fields (S) and 18-MV photon beams was compared to two conventional 2D techniques (a single posterior field, PA, and two opposed anterior-posterior fields, APPA), three other 3D-CRT techniques (a single posterior field supplemented by four segment fields, 1F4S; two wedged fields, WD, and the SC dose-limiting variant using 6 MV, 1F2S-6MV) along with the original clinically applied plans. RESULTS: 1F2S-18MV demonstrated notably better results for all target volume parameters compared to the conventional 2D techniques (p < 0.001). Limitation of the SC dose was significantly superior with 1F2S-18MV in comparison to PA and APPA (SC Dmean: 28.9 ± 0.4  vs. 30.1 ± 0.6 Gy and 30.1 ± 0.4 Gy; SC Dmax: 30.9 ± 0.7  vs. 32.5 ± 1.0 Gy and 31.8 ± 0.7 Gy; SC D1cm3 : 30.1 ± 0.6  vs. 31.7 ± 0.9 Gy and 31.1 ± 0.6 Gy; p < 0.001). Likewise, lower mean SC doses with 1F2S-18MV were observed in comparison to the more treatment time-consuming 3D-CRT techniques (1F4S, WD) and the original plans without relevant compromises on the dose homogeneity in the target volume and the dose exposure to the other OARs. CONCLUSION: In treatment planning of spinal metastases, simple variants of 3D-CRT-techniques like 1F2S-18MV can offer a significant dose limitation to the SC while providing a sufficient dose coverage of the target volume. Especially in patients with favorable life expectancy and potential need for re-irradiation, such SC dose-limiting 3D-CRT techniques may be a reasonable approach.

Clinical outcomes following total en bloc spondylectomy for spinal metastases from lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The current guidelines for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer encourage local curative treatment for selected patients with oligometastases. This study evaluated the surgical results of total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for isolated spinal metastases originating from lung cancer in carefully selected patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 14 patients (7 men and 7 women) who underwent TES for spinal metastases originating from lung cancer between 2000 and 2017. The primary outcome measure was the postoperative overall survival time. The histological types included adenocarcinoma (n = 12), pleomorphic carcinoma (n = 1), and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) (n = 1 patient). We assessed postoperative survival using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test. RESULTS: The median postoperative survival time was 83.0 months (6-162 months) in 13 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and 6 months in 1 patient with SCLC. The 3-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival rates in patients with NSCLC were 61.5%, 53.8%, and 15.4%, respectively. Poor postoperative performance status (PS) and Frankel grade, and preoperative irradiation to the vertebrae to be resected were significantly associated with short-term survival after TES in patients with NSCLC (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The surgical results of TES for spinal metastases of lung cancer were relatively favorable among carefully selected patients. TES may be indicated for spinal metastases of lung cancer in patients with controlled primary lung cancer, NSCLC histology, prospect of good postoperative PS, and preferably no irradiation to the target vertebrae.

[Spinal metastases combined with leptomeningeal metastasis: A case report].

Spinal metastases (SM) is the commonest form of solid tumors osseous metastasis, for which surgical dissection is often performed when combined with spinal cord compression. Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) results from dissemination of cancer cells to both the leptomeninges (pia and arachnoid) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartment. The spread of LM may occur via multiple routes, such as hematogenous, direct infiltration from metastatic brain lesions, or via iatrogenic seeding of CSF. Signs and symptoms associated with LM are generalized and various while early diagnosis of LM is challenging. Cytological evaluation of the CSF and gadolinium enhanced MRI brain and spine is the gold standard for diagnosing LM and CSF can help assess treatment response. While a number of other potential CSF biomarkers have been investigated both for the diagnosis as well as monitoring of LM, none have been established as a component of the standard evaluation of all LM or suspected LM patients. Management goals of LM include improving patient's neurologic function, quality of life, preventing further neurologic deterioration and prolonging survival. In many cases, it may be reasonable to pursue a palliative and comfort focused course, even from the initial LM diagnosis. Surgery is not recommended considering the risk of seeding with cerebrospinal fluid. A diagnosis of LM carries a poor prognosis with an estimated median survival of only 2-4 months despite therapy. Spinal metastases combined with leptomeningeal metastasis (SM+LM) is not uncommon and its treatment is similar to LM. LM can appear at the same time as SM or directly invaded by SM, which is thought regarding the pathophysiology of LM remains speculative and not systematically studied. The present article reports a 58-year-old woman who was first diagnosed with SM, but worsened after surgery repeated MRI examinations confirmed coexisting LM. Relevant literature was reviewed to summarize the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, imaging characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of SM+LM, so as to improve the understanding of the disease and promote early diagnosis. It should be vigilant to merge LM for the patient with SM when atypical clinical manifestations, rapid disease progression or inconsistent with imaging occurred. Repeated examinations of cerebrospinal fluid cytology and enhanced MRI should be considered when SM+LM is suspected to achieve timely adjustment of diagnosis and treatment strategy for better prognosis.

Risk-adapted stereotactic body radiotherapy for patients with cervical spinal metastases.

Owing to the complex anatomical structure and biomechanics, the current standard palliative treatments for cervical spinal metastases are associated with a high risk of recurrence and complications. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) can provide radical dose to tumors while protecting normal organs to the maximum extent. However, the efficacy and safety of SBRT for cervical spinal metastases is not well characterized. Data from 71 patients with cervical spine metastases who were treated with SBRT using CyberKnife between 2006 and 2021 were obtained from our prospectively maintained database. Primary endpoint was pain response at 12 weeks following SBRT completion; secondary endpoints included local control (LC), overall survival (OS), and adverse events. Standard-risk patients were planned to receive 30 Gy (range 21-36) with median fractions of 3 (range 1-3) and high-risk patients 35 Gy (range 24-50) with median fractions of 5 (range 4-5) according to the spinal cord and esophagus dose constraints. The median follow-up time was 17.07 months (range 3.1-118.9). After 12 weeks of SBRT completion, 54 (98.2%) of 55 patients with baseline pain achieved pain response and 46 (83.6%) achieved complete pain response. LC rates were 93.1% and 90% at 1 year and 2 year, respectively. The 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 66.2% and 37.4%, respectively. Eight patients experienced grades 1-4 adverse events (six vertebral compression fracture [VCF], five of them had VCF before SBRT; and two hemiparesis). No grade 5 adverse events were observed. Therefore, risk-adapted SBRT for cervical spine metastases achieved high pain control and LC rates with acceptable adverse events.

Risk of radiculopathy caused by second course of spine stereotactic body radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Stereotactic body radiotherapy is used to treat spinal metastases; however, 10% of patients experience local failure. We aimed to clarify the outcomes of the second course of stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastases with a uniform fractionation schedule at our institution. METHODS: Data of patients treated with a second salvage stereotactic body radiotherapy course at the same spinal level or adjacent level from July 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The initial prescribed dose was 24 Gy in two fractions, and the second dose 30 or 35 Gy in five fractions. The spinal cord dose constraint at the second course was 15.5 Gy at the maximum point dose. The endpoints were local failure and adverse effects. Local failure was defined as tumor progression using imaging. RESULTS: We assessed 19 lesions in 17 patients, with radioresistant lesions in 14 (74%) cases, the second stereotactic body radiotherapy to the same/adjacent spinal level in 13/6 cases, the median interval between stereotactic body radiotherapy of 23 (range, 6-52) months, and lesions compressing the cord in 5 (26%) cases. The median follow-up period was 19 months. The 12- and 18-month local failure rates were 0% and 8%, respectively. Radiation-induced myelopathy, radiculopathy and vertebral compression fractures were observed in 0 (0%), 4 (21%) and 2 (11%) lesions, respectively. Three patients with radiculopathy experienced almost complete upper or lower limb paralysis. CONCLUSIONS: The second course of salvage stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastases achieved good local control with a reduced risk of myelopathy. However, a high occurrence rate of radiation-induced radiculopathy has been confirmed.

The influence of diverse bone cement distribution patterns for metastatic vertebral lesions after bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of diverse bone cement distribution patterns in patients with metastatic vertebral lesions after bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP). METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with single-level metastatic vertebral lesions who received bilateral PKP were retrospectively reviewed. According to the different bone cement distribution patterns, patients were divided into confluent (n = 35, CF) and separated (n = 24, SP) groups. Indicators including visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), vertebral body height (VBH) variation, quality of life (QoL), and related complications were reviewed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in age, sex, types of lesions, locations of lesions, posterior vertebral body and/or pedicle involvement, percentage of vertebral invasion, procedure duration or cement volume (p > 0.05). There was significant improvement in VAS, ODI, VBH and QoL at any follow-up examination (p < 0.05) compared with those preoperatively. The CF group exhibited better pain relief in VAS scores than did the SP group just at 3 days and 1 month after PKP (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in VAS scores at 3 months or 1 year after PKP (p > 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of ODI, VBH or QoL (p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: More rapid pain relief was achieved with confluent rather than separated bone cement distribution patterns in PKP for patients with metastatic vertebral lesions.

Microwave ablation combined with cementoplasty under real-time temperature monitoring in the treatment of 82 patients with recurrent spinal metastases after radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The spine is the most frequently affected part of the skeletal system to metastatic tumors. External radiotherapy is considered the first-line standard of care for these patients with spine metastases. Recurrent spinal metastases after radiotherapy cannot be treated with further radiotherapy within a short period of time, making treatment difficult. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of MWA combined with cementoplasty in the treatment of spinal metastases after radiotherapy under real-time temperature monitoring. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 82 patients with 115 spinal metastatic lesions were treated with MWA and cementoplasty under real-time temperature monitoring. Changes in visual analog scale (VAS) scores, daily morphine consumption, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were noted. A paired Student's t-test was used to assess these parameters. Complications during the procedure were graded using the CTCAE version 5.0. RESULTS: Technical success was attained in all patients. The mean VAS score was 6.3 ± 2.0 (range, 4-10) before operation, and remarkable decline was noted in one month (1.7 ± 1.0 [P < .001]), three months (1.4 ± 0.8 [P < .001]), and six months (1.3 ± 0.8 [P < .001]) after the operation. Significant reductions in daily morphine consumption and ODI scores were also observed (P < .05). Cement leakage was found in 27.8% (32/115) of lesions, with no obvious associated symptoms. CONCLUSION: MWA combined with cementoplasty under real-time temperature monitoring is an effective and safe method for recurrent spinal metastases after radiotherapy.

Translation and validation of the Dutch Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSGOQ2.0) to evaluate health-related quality of life in patients with symptomatic spinal metastases.

BACKGROUND: The primary goal of palliative treatment of spinal metastases is to maintain or improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We translated and validated a Dutch version of The Spine Oncology Study Group Outcome Questionnaire (SOSGOQ2.0), a valid and reliable 20-item questionnaire to evaluate HRQOL in patients with spinal metastases. METHODS: After cross-cultural translation and adaptation, the questionnaire was pre-tested in fifteen patients referred for spine surgery and/or radiotherapy. This resulted in a final questionnaire that was sent to patients for assessment of internal consistency, construct (i.e., convergent and divergent) validity, discriminative power and test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Overall, 147 patients (mean age 65.6 years, SD = 10.4) completed the questionnaire after a median time of 45.4 months (IQR = 18.9-72.9) after spine surgery and/or radiotherapy. Internal consistency was good for the Physical function, Pain, and Mental health domains (α = 0.87, 0.86, 0.72), but not for Social function (α = 0.04). Good convergent validity was demonstrated except for Social function (rs = 0.37 95%CI = 0.21-0.51). Discriminative power between patients with ECOG performance scores of 0-1 and 2-4 was found on all domains and Neurological function items. Test-retest reliability was acceptable for Physical function, Pain and Mental health (ICC = 0.89 95%CI = 0.81-0.94, ICC = 0.88 95%CI = 0.78-0.93, ICC = 0.68 95%CI = 0.48-0.81), whereas ICC = 0.45 (95%CI = 0.17-0.66) for Social function was below threshold. After removing item 20 from the Social function domain, internal consistency improved, and convergent validity and test-retest reliability were good. CONCLUSION: The Dutch version of the SOSGOQ2.0 questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool to measure HRQOL in patients with spinal metastases. Item 20 was removed to retain psychometric properties.

Minimally invasive separation surgery for the treatment of spinal metastases with small incision and freehand pedicle screw fixation: the surgical learning curve.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive separation surgery (MISS) is a safe and effective surgical technique, the current optimal treatment for spinal metastases. However, the learning curve for this technique has not been analyzed. This study aimed to define and analyze the surgical learning curve of MISS for the treatment of spinal metastases with small incision and freehand pedicle screw fixation. METHODS: A continuous series of 62 patients with spinal metastases who underwent MISS were included. Each patient's operative data were accurately counted. The improvement of the patients' neurological function was followed up after surgery to evaluate the surgical treatment effect. Logarithmic curve-fit regression was used to analyze the surgical learning curve of MISS. The number of cases needed to achieve proficiency was analyzed. Based on this cut-off point, this series of cases was divided into the early phase and later phase groups. The influence of the time sequence of MISS on surgical data and surgical efficacy was analyzed. RESULTS: The operative time decreased gradually with the number of surgical cases increasing and stabilized after the 20th patient. There was no statistical difference in demographic characteristics and preoperative characteristics between the two groups. The mean operative time in the later phase group was about 39 min shorter than that in the early phase group (mean 227.95 vs. 189.02 min, P = 0.027). However, it did not affect other operative data or the surgical treatment effect. CONCLUSION: The learning curve of MISS for spinal metastases is not steep. With the increase of surgeons' experience, the operative time drops rapidly and stabilizes within a certain range. MISS can be safely and effectively performed at the beginning of a surgeon's caree.