Rehabilitation of people with spinal cord damage due to tumor: literature review, international survey and practical recommendations for optimizing their rehabilitation.

Background/objectives: People with spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) due to tumor (benign and malignant) pose enormous rehabilitation challenges. Objectives were: conduct literature search regarding epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes for SCDys due to tumor following rehabilitation, the ideal setting for rehabilitation and practical considerations for rehabilitation; and propose framework and practical considerations for managing people with SCDys due to tumor in spinal rehabilitation units (SRUs).

Design: Survey of rehabilitation health care professionals, consensus opinion from experts and literature search.

Setting: Workshop at International Spinal Cord Society and American Spinal Injury Association combined annual meeting, May 16, 2015, Montréal, Canada.

Participants: Workshop attendees and experts in the rehabilitation of people with SCDys due to tumor.

Outcomes Measures: Reports of services offered to people with SCDys due to tumor, including whether those with benign and malignant tumors are admitted into rehabilitation, any admission criteria used and the rational for declining admission.

Results: Most respondents (n = 33, 83%) reported that people with benign tumors were routinely admitted for rehabilitation but only 18 (45%) reported that people with malignant tumors were routinely admitted. A range of criteria and reasons for declining admission were given. Evidence from the literature and the opinion of experts support the admission of people with SCDys due to tumor into specialist SRUs.

Conclusions: A framework and practical considerations for managing people with SCDys due to tumor in SRUs are proposed. Patients with tumor causing SCDys should be given greater access to specialist SRU in order to achieve the best outcomes.