Surgical Indication and Limitation of Metastatic Spine Tumor

Abstract

  The cellular mechanism of cancer growth and its metastases is complex. It is clear that any single treatment including surgical management cannot lead to the complete cure of cancer. As survival rates in patients of cancer continue to improve with the advancement of comprehensive management, it is likely that the prevalence of spinal tumors of vertebral or intramedullary metastases will certainly increase. Metastatic spine tumors may also carry the risk of significant aggravation of not only the patient’s activity of daily living but also their quality of life if the appropriate management is not given. Surgical treatment is truly one of the management options for patients of spinal metastases. Surgical options include vertebroplasty, decompression alone, decompression with fusion, combined anterior and posterior surgery and radical resection of the cancer. Surgeons need to assess the patient’s condition accurately and without delay. The primary objective of surgical treatment is to improve the paralysis and pain caused by spinal metastases. Finally, the indication for palliative or radical surgery should be determined from the point of view of multidisciplinary management.