A study recently published in The Spine Journal examines how spinal sarcoma is treated and the impact of en bloc or intralesional resection on patient outcomes.
The researchers examined 25 sarcoma patients treated at a single medical institution from 2002 to 2012. The AOSpine Primary Tumor Knowledge Forum supported portions of the work. Diagnoses included chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma and other sarcoma with an average patient age of 42 years old.
Here are five findings from the study:
1. Around 92 percent of the patients reported pain.
2. The average median survival rate after surgery was:
• 59.5 months for chondrosarcoma patients
• 16.8 months for osteosarcoma patients
• Undefined for other sarcomas
However, the study authors concluded, "Median survival in this cohort was longest for patients with sarcomas of varying pathology."
3. The average median survival rate following en bloc resection was undefined. The median survival following intralesional resection was 17.8 months.
4. There was a statistically significant difference in median survival between en bloc and intralesional resection.
5. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the spinal column is the most common site for bone metastas and around 10,000 Americans develop primary or metastatic spinal cord tumors each year.
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