Interdisciplinary clinical evaluation of 58 patients with lumbar-vertebral metastases from cervico-uterine cancer.

Introduction: Metastases in the vertebrae of patients with cervical cancer (CeCa) can be difficult to diagnose, and the treatment is palliative in many cases.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the ti-me required for diagnosis, the lesion's locoregional extent and the therapeutic schemes applied, in a retrospective series of 58 patients with CeCa and with lumbar spinal metastases.

Methods: The cases were studied using an updated interdisciplinary analysis to determine the clinical and radiological variables. This study evaluated the site and extent of bone lesions and correlated these variables with instability of the spine and cord compression.

Results: The diagnosis of vertebrae metastases of Ce-Ca required more than 3 months in most cases. Lumbar vertebrae L4 and L5 and specifically the vertebral body were the most-frequently affected si-tes. Systemic and/or extra-compartmental-extended metastases (MosV4) were observed in 44/58 patients. Radiotherapy was the only option in this group and the palliative effect achieved was minimal, or null. In 14/58 patients there was intra compartmental-extended (MosV2) and extra-compartmental limited (MosV3) single vertebral metastases and the 3 different treatment schemes were administered. In the cases treated with marginal resection of metastases, vertebroplasty plus adjuvant radiotherapy achieved significant palliative effect.

Conclusions: In the present series of patients, the diagnosis of metastases of the lumbar vertebrae was late, and the disease was advanced. The results obtained with radiotherapy in advanced stage disease did not improve the quality of life of patients. Metastasectomy was the therapeutic scheme in cases with intermediate stage disease and was the basis of the integrated treatment We believe that it is necessary to shorten the diagnostic time and to apply a staging system for vertebral metastases so that appropriate individualised selection of interdisciplinary treatment would be facilitated.