Risk Factors for Pathological Fracture and Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression in Patients With Spinal Metastases

Orthopedics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. e38-e45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Hibberd ◽  
Gerald M. Y. Quan
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-130
Author(s):  
Rishi Jayesh Trivedi

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B cell malignancy resulting in osteolytic lesions. Pathological fracture of the vertebral body resulting in spinal cord compression is a common complication and accounts for approximately 5% of patients with MM. To date, there are no definitive guidelines for the treatment of spinal cord compression as a consequence of MM. Radiotherapy has frequently been the preferred form of treatment. Some surgeons, however, feel that spinal lesions in multiple myeloma should be treated in the same manner as spinal metastases from solid organs. I report the management of a 46-year-old gentleman with multiple myeloma that had resulted in neural compression in the lumbar and thoracic areas. Initial emergent treatment in this patient consisted of spinal decompression and stabilisation.


2018 ◽  
pp. 159-174
Author(s):  
Adam M. Robin ◽  
Ilya Laufer

A decision-making framework called NOMS (neurologic, oncologic, mechanical and systemic) facilitates and guides therapeutic decisions for patients with spinal metastases. Patients should be evaluated for signs of myelopathy or cauda equina syndrome. The Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) scale facilitates reporting of the degree of radiographic spinal cord compression. A determination of the expected histology-specific tumor response to conventionally fractionated external beam radiation (cEBRT) and systemic therapy should be made. Radiation therapy effectively treats biologic pain for radiosensitive tumors such as multiple myeloma. Patients should undergo a careful evaluation of movement-associated pain as tumor-induced spinal instability is an independent indication for surgery. Determination of tumor-associated mechanical instability can be facilitated by the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS). Herein, the authors present a case of spinal multiple myeloma managed using the NOMS framework and in consideration of current evidence and treatment paradigms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 98S-107S ◽  
Author(s):  
Ori Barzilai ◽  
Stefano Boriani ◽  
Charles G. Fisher ◽  
Arjun Sahgal ◽  
Jorrit Jan Verlaan ◽  
...  

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 153303382094579
Author(s):  
Hao-ran Zhang ◽  
Ji-kai Li ◽  
Xiong-gang Yang ◽  
Rui-qi Qiao ◽  
Yong-Cheng Hu

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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 223-223
Author(s):  
Jean A. McDougall ◽  
Bernardo Haddock Lobo Goulart ◽  
Sean D Sullivan ◽  
Jeannine S. McCune ◽  
Aasthaa Bansal ◽  
...  

223 Background: Skeletal related events (SREs), defined as pathological fracture, spinal cord compression, surgery or radiotherapy to the bone, occur in nearly half of men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Accurate assessment of the risk of death associated with SREs is important to making decisions about the use of recently approved treatments, which have been shown to decrease the frequency of skeletal events, yet estimating the impact of SREs on survival presents several methodological challenges given the recurrent time-dependent nature of exposure. Methods: A cohort of men >65years of age, diagnosed with prostate cancer and bone metastasis between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2009 was identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries were linked to Medicare Parts A and B claims. The outcome of interest, death from any cause, was ascertained from SEER and survival time was calculated from the date of metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models treating the occurrence of an SRE as a time-dependent exposure were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between SRE occurrence, number, and type, and death. Results: Among 3,297 men with metastatic prostate cancer, 40% experienced ≥1 SRE during the observational follow-up period (median 19 months). Compared to men who remained SRE-free, cohort members who had ≥1 SREs had a two-fold higher risk of death (HR 2.2, 95% CI 2.0-2.4). Those whose first SRE was a pathological fracture had a 2.7-fold higher risk of death (HR 2.7, 95% CI 2.3-3.1), followed by spinal cord compression (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.5), surgery (HR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.2) and radiotherapy (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.9-2.4). Compared to those experiencing only one SRE, men who experienced a second SRE of any type had double the risk of death (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.9-2.6). Conclusions: SREs were associated with ≥50% reduction in overall survival. This finding is consistent across different types of SREs and supports using therapies to prevent or treat SREs in patients with prostate cancer metastatic to the bones.


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