Outcomes and effectiveness of posterior occipitocervical fusion for suboccipital spinal metastases

OBJECTIVEThe incidence of suboccipital spinal metastases is rare but has increased given cancer patients' longer life expectancies. Operative treatment in this region is often challenging because of limited fixation points due to tumor lysis, as well as adjacent neural and vascular anatomy. Few studies have reported on this population of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and complications of patients with suboccipital spinal metastases who had undergone posterior occipitocervical fixation.METHODSA single-institution database was reviewed to identify patients with suboccipital metastases who had undergone posterior-only instrumented fusion between 1999 and 2014. Clinical presentation, perioperative complications, and postoperative results were analyzed. Pain was assessed using the visual analog scale. Survival analysis was performed using a Kaplan-Meier curve. The revised Tokuhashi and the Tomita scoring systems were used for prognosis prediction.RESULTSFifteen patients were identified, 10 men and 5 women with mean age of 64.8 ± 11.8 years (range 48–80 years). Severe neck pain without neurological deficit was the most common presentation. Primary tumors included lung, breast, bladder, myeloma, melanoma, and renal cell cancers. All tumors occurred in the axis vertebra. Preoperative Tokuhashi and Tomita scores ranged from 5 to 13 and 3 to 7, respectively. All patients had undergone occipitocervical fusion of a mean of 4.6 levels (range 2–7 levels). Median survival was 10.3 months. In all cases, neck pain markedly improved and patients were able to resume activities of daily living. The average postoperative pain score was significantly improved as compared with the average preoperative score (1.90 ± 2.56 and 5.50 ± 2.99, respectively, p = 0.01). Three patients experienced postoperative medical complications including urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrhythmia. In the follow-up period, no wound infections or reoperations occurred and no patients experienced spinal cord deficits from tumor recurrence.CONCLUSIONSPosterior-only occipitocervical stabilization was highly effective at relieving patients' neck pain. No instrumentation failures were noted, and no neurological complications or tumor progression causing spinal cord deficits was noted in the follow-up period.

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Occipitocervical fusion after resection of craniovertebral junction tumors

Journal of Neurosurgery Spine ◽

10.3171/spi.2006.4.2.137 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 137-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Hyunchul Shin ◽

Ignacio J. Barrenechea ◽

Jonathan Lesser ◽

Chandranath Sen ◽

Noel I. Perin

Keyword(s):

Neck Pain ◽

Perioperative Complications ◽

Craniovertebral Junction ◽

Foramen Magnum ◽

Occipitocervical Fusion ◽

Glomus Tumors ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Presenting Symptoms ◽

Surgical Access

Object Surgical access to tumors at the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) requires extensive bone removal. Guidelines for the use of occipitocervical fusion (OCF) after resection of CVJ tumors have been based on anecdotal evidence. The authors performed a retrospective study of factors associated with the use of OCF in 46 patients with CVJ tumors. The findings were used to develop recommendations for use of OCF in such patients. Methods The authors retrospectively reviewed the cases of 51 patients with CVJ tumors treated by their group between March 1991 and February 2004. Forty-six patients were available for follow up. Charts were reviewed to obtain data on demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, and perioperative complications. Preoperative computerized tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging studies were obtained in all patients. Occipitocervical fusion was performed in patients who had undergone a unilateral condyle resection in which 70% or more of the condyle was removed, a bilateral condyle resection with 50% removal, or C1–2 vertebral body destruction. Of the 46 patients, 16 had foramen magnum meningiomas, 17 had chordomas, one had a chondrosarcoma, two had Schwann cell tumors, two had glomus tumors, and eight had other types of tumors. Twenty-three (50%) of the 46 patients underwent OCF, including 15 of the 17 patients with chordomas (88%). None of the patients with meningiomas required fusion. Seventeen (71%) of the 24 patients presenting with neck pain preoperatively underwent OCF. Conclusions Patients presenting with neck pain had a 71% chance of undergoing OCF. Patients with chordomas and metastatic tumors were most likely to require OCF. One patient with a 50% unilateral condylar resection returned with OC instability for which OCF was required. Based on their clinical experience and published biomechanical studies, the authors recommend that OCF be performed when 50% or more of one condyle is resected.

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Data Driven Mathematical Model of FOLFIRI Treatment for Colon Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13112632 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2632

Author(s):

Aparajita Budithi ◽

Sumeyye Su ◽

Arkadz Kirshtein ◽

Leili Shahriyari

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Model ◽

Colon Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Data Driven ◽

T Helper ◽

Primary Tumors ◽

Cell Fractions

Many colon cancer patients show resistance to their treatments. Therefore, it is important to consider unique characteristic of each tumor to find the best treatment options for each patient. In this study, we develop a data driven mathematical model for interaction between the tumor microenvironment and FOLFIRI drug agents in colon cancer. Patients are divided into five distinct clusters based on their estimated immune cell fractions obtained from their primary tumors’ gene expression data. We then analyze the effects of drugs on cancer cells and immune cells in each group, and we observe different responses to the FOLFIRI drugs between patients in different immune groups. For instance, patients in cluster 3 with the highest T-reg/T-helper ratio respond better to the FOLFIRI treatment, while patients in cluster 2 with the lowest T-reg/T-helper ratio resist the treatment. Moreover, we use ROC curve to validate the model using the tumor status of the patients at their follow up, and the model predicts well for the earlier follow up days.

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Recent advances and new discoveries in the pipeline of the treatment of primary spinal tumors and spinal metastases: A scoping review

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noab214 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Julio C Furlan ◽

Jefferson R Wilson ◽

Eric M Massicotte ◽

Arjun Sahgal ◽

Fehlings G Michael

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Clinical Studies ◽

Spinal Metastasis ◽

Spinal Cord Tumor ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Spinal Metastases ◽

Spinal Tumors ◽

Spinal Neoplasms ◽

Primary Tumors

Abstract The field of spinal oncology has substantially evolved over the past decades. This review synthesizes and appraises what was learned and what will potentially be discovered from the recently completed and ongoing clinical studies related to the treatment of primary and secondary spinal neoplasms. This scoping review included all clinical studies on the treatment of spinal neoplasms registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov website from February/2000 to December/2020. The terms “spinal cord tumor”, “spinal metastasis”, and “metastatic spinal cord compression” were used. Of the 174 registered clinical studies on primary spinal tumors and spinal metastasis, most of the clinical studies registered in this American registry were interventional studies led by single institutions in North America (n=101), Europe (n=43), Asia (n=24) or other continents (n=6). The registered clinical studies mainly focused on treatment strategies for spinal neoplasms (90.2%) that included investigating stereotactic radiosurgery (n=33), radiotherapy (n=21), chemotherapy (n=20), and surgical technique (n=11). Of the 69 completed studies, the results from 44 studies were published in the literature. In conclusion, this review highlights the key features of the 174 clinical studies on spinal neoplasms that were registered from 2000 to 2020. Clinical trials were heavily skewed towards the metastatic population as opposed to the primary tumours which likely reflects the rarity of the latter condition and associated challenges in undertaking prospective clinical studies in this population. This review serves to emphasize the need for a focused approach to enhancing translational research in spinal neoplasms with a particular emphasis on primary tumors.

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Conventional Radiotherapy and Stereotactic Radiosurgery in the Management of Metastatic Spine Disease

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment ◽

10.1177/1533033820945798 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 153303382094579

Author(s):

Hao-ran Zhang ◽

Ji-kai Li ◽

Xiong-gang Yang ◽

Rui-qi Qiao ◽

Yong-Cheng Hu

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Pain Relief ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

Stereotactic Radiosurgery ◽

Spinal Cord Compression ◽

Spinal Metastases ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Cord Compression ◽

Conventional Radiotherapy ◽

Radiation Induced

Spinal metastases are a common manifestation of malignant tumors that can cause severe pain, spinal cord compression, pathological fractures, and hypercalcemia, and these clinical manifestations will ultimately reduce the health-related quality of life and even shorten life expectancy in patient with cancer. Effective management of spinal bone metastases requires multidisciplinary collaboration, including radiologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and pain specialists. In the past few decades, conventional radiotherapy has been the most common form of radiotherapy, which can achieve favorable local control and pain relief; however, it lacks precise methods of delivering radiation and thus cannot provide sufficient tumoricidal dose. The advent of stereotactic radiosurgery has changed this situation by using highly focused radiation beams guided by 3-dimensional imaging to deliver a high biologic equivalent dose to the target region, and the spinal cord can be identified and excluded from the target volume to reduce the risk of radiation-induced myelopathy. Separation surgery can provide a 2- to 3-mm safe separation of tumor and spinal cord to avoid radiation-induced damage to the spinal cord. Targets for separation surgery include decompression of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression and spinal stabilization without partial or en bloc tumor resection. Combined with conventional radiotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery can provide better local tumor control and pain relief. Several scoring systems have been developed to estimate the life expectancy of patients with spinal metastases treated with radiotherapy. Thorough understanding of radiotherapy-related knowledge including the dose-fractionation schedule, separation surgery, efficacy and safety, scoring systems, and feasibility of combination with other treatment methods is critical to providing optimal patient care.

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Incidence of skeletal-related events (SREs) among prostate cancer patients.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.e16035 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e16035-e16035

Author(s):

Marianne Ulcickas Yood ◽

Teresa Maria Zyczynski ◽

Karen Wells ◽

Deborah Casso ◽

Benjamin Gutierrez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Spinal Cord ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Stage Iv ◽

Cord Compression ◽

Population Based ◽

Tumor Registry ◽

Ajcc Stage ◽

Skeletal Related Events

e16035 Background: Skeletal related events (SREs) occur in men with prostate cancer and may result from both bone metastases and exposure to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The objective of this study was to quantify the incidence of SREs in patients with prostate cancer treated with ADT or orchiectomy in clinical practice. Methods: Prostate cancer patients served by Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) were identified via the HFHS tumor registry. Eligible patients were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2004 and 2010 and treated with ADT or orchiectomy. Comprehensive population-based data were compiled using tumor registry with linkages to pharmacy, laboratory results, and healthcare encounter databases. SREs included spinal cord compression, surgery to bone, pathologic fracture and radiation to bone. Disease progression and metastases were identified by medical record review. Results: We identified 702 patients with prostate cancer and receipt of ADT or orchiectomy; 57.6% were >70 years of age and 43.7% were African American. 56.3% of patients were initially diagnosed at AJCC stage II, 9.8% at stage III, 22.1% at stage IV, and 11.8% had missing or unknown stage. A total of 93 patients (13.2%) had one or more SREs: radiation to bone (8.5%) and spinal cord compression (3.1%) were the most common SREs. We then limited the cohort to patients initially diagnosed with or progressing to AJCC stage IV prostate cancer (N=207). Among this group, 47.8% were >70 years of age. The mean time from stage IV diagnosis to end of follow-up was 35.6 months. In this subgroup, 16.4% of patients were initially diagnosed at AJCC stage II, 8.2% at stage III, 69.6% at stage IV, and 5.8% had missing or unknown stage. 57 patients (27.5%) had one or more SREs. Conclusions: Some clinical trials have found 36-41% of high-risk metastatic prostate cancer patients developed SREs during 3 years of follow-up. In this population-based cohort of patients with prostate cancer receiving ADT or orchiectomy and treated in real-world clinical practice, we found the incidence of SREs to be lower than what has been reported in clinical trials. Additional analyses exploring the incidence of SREs in patients diagnosed with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer will be presented.

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The accuracy of prognostic scoring systems in predicting survival of lung cancer patients with spinal metastases

The Spine Journal ◽

10.1016/j.spinee.2016.01.138 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. S89-S90

Author(s):

Naresh Kumar ◽

Jonathan Tan ◽

Kimberly Anne Tan ◽

Aye Sandar Zaw ◽

Gabriel Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Spinal Metastases ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Lung Cancer Patients ◽

Prognostic Scoring Systems

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Cervical vertebroplasty for osteolytic metastases as a minimally invasive therapeutic option in oncological surgery: outcome in 14 cases

Neurosurgical FOCUS ◽

10.3171/2017.5.focus17175 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. E3 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Martin Stangenberg ◽

Lennart Viezens ◽

Sven O. Eicker ◽

Malte Mohme ◽

Klaus C. Mende ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Spine ◽

Minimally Invasive ◽

Neck Pain ◽

Vertebral Body ◽

Spinal Metastases ◽

Case Series ◽

Posterior Wall ◽

Oncological Surgery ◽

Osteolytic Metastases

OBJECTIVEThe treatment of cervical spinal metastases represents a controversial issue regarding the type, extent, and invasiveness of interventions. In the lumbar and thoracic spine, kypho- and vertebroplasties have been established as minimally invasive procedures for patients with metastases to the vertebral bodies and without neurological deficit. These procedures show good results with respect to pain reduction and low complication rates. However, limited data are available for kypho- and vertebroplasties for cervical spinal metastases. In an effort to add to existing data, the authors here present a case series of 14 patients who were treated for osteolytic metastases of the cervical spine using vertebroplasty alone or in addition to another surgical procedure involving the cervical spine in a palliative setting to reduce pain and restore stability.METHODSFourteen patients consisting of 8 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 64.7 years (range 44–85 years), were treated with vertebroplasty at the authors’ clinic between January 2015 and November 2016. In total, 25 vertebrae were treated with vertebroplasty: 10 C-2, 5 C-3, 2 C-4, 2 C-5, 3 C-6, and 3 C-7. Two patients had an additional posterior stabilization and 5 patients an additional anterior stabilization. In 13 cases, the surgical approach was a modified Smith-Robinson approach; in 1 case, the cement was injected into the corpus axis from posteriorly. Patients with osteolytic defects of the posterior wall of the vertebral body did not undergo surgery, nor did patients with neurological deficits. Preoperatively, on the 2nd day after surgery, and at the follow-up, neck pain was rated using the visual analog scale (VAS).RESULTSTwelve patients were examined at follow-up (mean 9 months). Neck pain was rated as a mean of 6.0 (range 3–8) preoperatively, 2.9 on Day 2 after surgery (range 0–5), and 0.5 at the follow-up (range 0–4), according to the VAS. The mean Neck Disability Index at follow-up was 3.6% (range 0%–18%).CONCLUSIONSAnterior vertebroplasty of the cervical spine via an anterolateral approach represents a safe and minimally invasive procedure with a low complication rate and appears suitable for reducing pain and restoring stability in cases of cervical spinal metastases. Vertebroplasties can be combined with other anterior and posterior operations of the cervical spine and, in the axis vertebra, can be performed transpedicularly from posteriorly. Thus, in cases in which the posterior wall of the vertebral body is intact, vertebroplasty represents a less invasive alternative to vertebral replacement in oncological surgery. Prospective randomized trials with a longer follow-up period and a larger patient cohort are needed to confirm the encouraging results of this case series.

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Epidural compression in infants less than 6 months of life with neuroblastoma: experience of Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Immunopathology ◽

10.24287/1726-1708-2020-19-4-46-56 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 46-56

Author(s):

E. V. Gorokhova ◽

D. Yu. Kachanov ◽

O. B. Merishavyan ◽

S. P. Khomyakova ◽

S. S. Ozerov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Spinal Cord Compression ◽

Tumor Invasion ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Cord Compression ◽

Neurological Symptoms ◽

Observation Group ◽

Primary Tumors ◽

Epidural Compression

Neuroblastoma (NB) can manifest through neurological symptoms caused by tumor extension into the spinal canal and the resulting epidural compression (EC). Clinical symptoms and management in patients with epidural compression depend on its level and duration, the severity of spinal cord compression, the patient's age and other factors. One of the biggest challenges is the diagnosis and treatment of EC in infants in the first months of life. Our retrospective analysis included 13 patients with NB complicated by spinal cord EC who had been diagnosed at the age of 0–6 months and treated at the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI over the period from 01.01.2012 to 01.12.2018 (82 months). The study was approved by the Independent Ethics Committee and the Scientific Council of the D. Rogachev NMRCPHOI of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation. The diagnosis of NB was based on the international diagnostic criteria. The tumors were staged in accordance with the INSS classification. The patients were stratified into risk groups and treated according to the modified NB-2004 protocol of the German Oncology Group. All the patients underwent diagnostic testing for neurogenic tumors as well as contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord with the assessment of the level of tumor invasion and the degree of spinal cord compression. The children were evaluated by a neurologist at admission and at follow-up visits. The median age at diagnosis of NB was 3.9 (0.5–6) months. At disease onset, 53.8% of patients had neurological symptoms, with motor deficiencies being the most common ones. In this group of patients, the median time from first neurological symptoms to diagnosis of NB was 1.56 months. Neurological symptoms at disease onset were not present or diagnosed at local healthcare facilities in 46.2% of infants. Extra-organic retroperitoneal primary tumors were found in 61.6% of patients; 30.7% of primary tumors were located in the posterior mediastinum, and 7.7% of primary tumors – in the lesser pelvis. No patients had MYCN-amplified tumors; in 1 case the MYCN gene status was evaluated as Gain; neither 1p nor 11q deletions were detected. The distribution of patients by INSS stages was as follows: stage 2 – 15.3%, stage 3 – 46.1%, stage 4 – 23.3% and stage 4S – 15.3%. The majority of patients (77.7%) were stratified into an observation group, the remaining patients (23.3%) were allocated to a medium risk group in accordance with the NB-2004 protocol. The level of tumor invasion into the spinal cord canal varied. Tumor invasion at the level of the cervicothoracic spine was observed in 15.4% of patients, at the level of the thoracic spine – in 15.4%, at the level of the thoracolumbar spine – in 46.2%, at the level of the lumbar spine – in 15.4%, and at the level of the sacral spine – in 7.7%. Neurosurgical intervention (laminotomy) was performed in 4 cases (30.7%). In one patient, laminotomy was the only treatment option (chemotherapy was not given). In two patients, neurosurgery was performed because of the deterioration of neurological symptoms caused by the start of the first polychemotherapy (PCHT) cycle. Chemotherapy was carried out in 92.3% patients. The patients from the observation group received 1–3 PCHT cycles (the median number of cycles was 2). Only one patient from the observation group did not receive PCHT. This patient underwent 2 surgeries. Currently, 10/13 (77%) patients are alive, 3/13 (33%) patients are dead (2/3 patients died of therapy-related infectious complications, and 1/3 – of acute heart failure in the early postoperative period). The median follow-up was 37.3 months. According to the assessment of late effects, neurological disorders were found in all the analyzed patients (n = 9), and orthopedic disorders were found in 66.6% (6/9) patients. The results of our analysis illustrate both the difficulty of diagnosis and management of EC in patients with NB and the need¬ for uniform testing and treatment standards with established follow-up and rehabilitation strategies for this group of patients.

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Hospital Frailty Risk Score and Healthcare Resource Utilization After Surgery for Primary Spinal Intradural/Cord Tumors

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/21925682211069937 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 219256822110699

Author(s):

Aladine A. Elsamadicy ◽

Andrew B. Koo ◽

Benjamin C. Reeves ◽

Zach Pennington ◽

Margot Sarkozy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Risk Score ◽

Perioperative Complications ◽

Hospital Costs ◽

Spinal Tumors ◽

Primary Tumors ◽

Discharge Disposition ◽

Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database ◽

Icd 10 ◽

The Impact

Objective The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) is a metric that measures frailty among patients in large national datasets using ICD-10 codes. While other metrics have been utilized to demonstrate the association between frailty and poor outcomes in spine oncology, none have examined the HFRS. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of frailty using the HFRS on complications, length of stay, cost of admission, and discharge disposition in patients undergoing surgery for primary tumors of the spinal cord and meninges. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2018. Adult patients undergoing surgery for primary tumors of the spinal cord and meninges were identified using ICD-10-CM codes. Patients were categorized into 2 cohorts based on HFRS score: Non-Frail (HFRS<5) and Frail (HFRS≥5). Patient characteristics, treatment, perioperative complications, LOS, discharge disposition, and cost of admission were assessed. Results Of the 5955 patients identified, 1260 (21.2%) were Frail. On average, the Frail cohort was nearly 8 years older ( P < .001) and experienced more postoperative complications ( P = .001). The Frail cohort experienced longer LOS ( P < .001), a higher rate of non-routine discharge ( P = .001), and a greater mean cost of admission ( P < .001). Frailty was found to be an independent predictor of extended LOS ( P < .001) and non-routine discharge ( P < .001). Conclusion Our study is the first to use the HFRS to assess the impact of frailty on patients with primary spinal tumors. We found that frailty was associated with prolonged LOS, non-routine discharge, and increased hospital costs.

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Intensity-modulated Stereotactic Radiotherapy of Paraspinal Tumors: A Preliminary Report

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/01.neu.0000114263.01917.1e ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 823-831 ◽

Cited By ~ 113

Author(s):

Mark H. Bilsky ◽

Yoshiya Yamada ◽

Kamil M. Yenice ◽

Michael Lovelock ◽

Margie Hunt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Maximum Dose ◽

Tumor Control ◽

High Dose ◽

Metastatic Tumors ◽

Primary Tumors ◽

Intensity Modulated

Abstract OBJECTIVE Radioresistant paraspinal tumors may benefit from conformal treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Local tumor control and long-term palliation for both primary and metastatic tumors may be achieved with IMRT while reducing the risk of spinal cord toxicity associated with conventional radiotherapy techniques. In this article, we report our initial clinical experience in treating 16 paraspinal tumors with IMRT in which the planning target volume was 2 mm or greater from the spinal cord. METHODS IMRT was administered by using a linear accelerator mounted with a multileaf collimator. Two immobilization body frames developed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center were used for patients with and without spinal implants. During a 30-month period, 16 patients underwent IMRT for metastatic and primary tumors. Eleven patients were treated for symptomatic recurrences after undergoing surgery and prior external beam radiotherapy, and one patient was treated after undergoing radiotherapy for a metastatic pancreatic gastrinoma with overlapping ports to the spine. Four patients with primary tumors were treated after primary resection that resulted in positive histological margins. Twelve patients were symptomatic with pain, functional radiculopathy, or both. Tumoral doses were determined on the basis of the relative radiosensitivity of tumors. Patients with metastatic tumors were administered a median tumoral dose of 20 Gy in four to five fractions and a spinal cord maximum dose of 6.0 Gy in addition to the full tolerance dose administered in previous radiation treatments. The primary tumors were delivered a median dose of 70 Gy in 33 to 37 fractions and a spinal cord maximum dose of 16 Gy. The median tumoral volume was 7.8 cm3. RESULTS Of the 15 patients who underwent radiographic follow-up, 13 demonstrated either no interval growth or a reduction in tumor size in a median follow-up period of 12 months (range, 2–23 mo). Two patients, one with a thoracic chondrosarcoma and one with a chordoma, showed tumor progression 1 year after undergoing IMRT. Pain symptoms improved in 11 of 11 patients, and 4 of 4 patients had significant improvement in their functionally significant radiculopathy and/or plexopathy. Pain relief was durable in all patients except the two with tumor progression. No patient showed signs or symptoms of radiation-induced myelopathy, radiculopathy, or plexopathy, including 12 patients with a median follow-up of 18 months. CONCLUSION IMRT was effective for treating pain and improving functional radiculopathy in patients with metastatic and primary tumors. Although long-term tumor control is not established in this study, high-dose tumoral irradiation can be performed without causing radiation myelopathy in more than 1 year of follow-up.

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