[Outcome between surgical and non-surgical treatment of metastatic tumors of the spine: a retrospective study of 259 patients].

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients with metastatic tumors of the spine after surgical and non-surgical treatment.

METHODS

The charts of 259 patients with metastatic tumors of the spine were reviewed retrospectively to define predictors of outcome. Our data included patient demographics, primary tumor, location of the metastatic tumor within the spine, indication for surgical or non-surgical treatment, type of surgical and non-surgical intervention, post-treatment outcome in terms of neurology, use of adjuvant radiation therapy or systemic therapy.

RESULTS

The most frequent indication for surgical treatment was the combination of neurological deficit (ND), pathological vertebral fracture, and pain (50 %). Surgical intervention was performed by the posterior approach in 67 %, by the anterior approach in 13 %, and by an anterior/posterior approach in 10 %. The post-surgical outcome, depending on the type of surgical approach in terms of ND, was for the posterior approach 29 % improved, for the anterior approach 53 % improved, and for the anterior/posterior approach 15 % improved.

DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that the indications for metastatic tumor surgery in the spine depend on the location of the metastatic tumor in the spine, clinical symptoms, and prognosis.