Sarcopenia Predicts Overall Survival in Patients with Lung, Breast, Prostate, or Myeloma Spine Metastases Undergoing Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT), Independent of Histology.

Background: Predicting survival of patients with spinal metastases would help stratify treatments from aggressive to palliation.

Objective: To evaluate whether sarcopenia predicts survival in patients with lung, breast, prostate, or multiple myeloma spinal metastases.

Methods: Psoas muscle measurements in patients with spinal metastasis were taken from computed tomography scans at 2 time points: at first episode of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and from the most recent scan available.

Morphometrics predicts overall survival in patients with multiple myeloma spine metastasis: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Treatment strategies for spinal metastases for myeloma range from conservative measures (radiation and chemotherapy) to invasive (surgical). Identifying better predictors of overall survival (OS) would help in surgical decision making. Analytic morphometrics has been shown to predict survival in oncologic patients, and our study evaluates whether morphometrics is predictive of survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) spinal metastases.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for primary tumors of the spine and spinal cord.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of primary tumors of the spine and spinal cord.

Methods: An Institutional Review Board approved retrospective analysis of 30 patients with primary spine tumors treated at a single institution was performed. Post-treatment pain, neurological, and radiographic responses were the endpoints.

Application of Morphometrics as a Predictor for Survival in Patients with Prostate Cancer Metastasis to the Spine.

Background: Surgery for spinal metastases can improve survival but has high morbidity that can potentially diminish benefits. New objective methods of predicting overall survival would be beneficial for surgical decision making. Morphometrics quantifies patient frailty and has been successfully used to predict overall survival in patients with lung cancer spinal metastases.

Application of morphometrics as a predictor for survival in female patients with breast cancer spinal metastasis: a retrospective cohort study.

Background Context: The current standard of care for prediction of survival of cancer staging is based on TNM staging. However, for patients with spinal metastasis, who all have identical stage IV disease, identifying accurate prognostic markers of survival would allow better treatment stratification between more aggressive treatment strategies or palliation. Analytical morphometrics enables physicians to quantify patient frailty by measuring lean muscle mass.

Reirradiation of the spine with stereotactic radiosurgery: Efficacy and toxicity.

Purpose: To determine the potential benefits and adverse effects associated with reirradiating the spinal cord when at least 1 course of radiation therapy (RT) is stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS).

Methods And Materials: This institutional review board-approved retrospective review included 162 patients (237 reirradiated spine lesions). All patients received SRS at our institution between 2001 and 2013.

Analysis of the Factors Contributing to Vertebral Compression Fractures After Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Purpose: To determine our institutional vertebral compression fracture (VCF) rate after spine stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and determine contributory factors.

Methods And Materials: Retrospective analysis from 2001 to 2013 at a single institution was performed. With institutional review board approval, electronic medical records of 1905 vertebral bodies from 791 patients who were treated with SRS for the management of primary or metastatic spinal lesions were reviewed.

Application of morphometric analysis to patients with lung cancer metastasis to the spine: a clinical study.

OBJECTIVE Predicting the survival rate for patients with cancer is currently performed using the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors (TNM). Identifying accurate prognostic markers of survival would allow better treatment stratification between more aggressive treatment strategies or palliation. This is especially relevant for patients with spinal metastases, who all have identical TNM staging and whose surgical decision-making is potentially complex.