Purpose: Assessing the stability of spinal metastases is critical for making treatment decisions. The spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) was developed by the Spine Oncology Study Group to categorize tumor-related lesions; however, data describing its utility in predicting fractures in patients with spinal metastases are limited. The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of SINS in predicting new or worsening fracture after radiation therapy (RT) to spine metastases.

Methods And Materials: This is a retrospective analysis of patients treated with conventional RT alone (median total dose, 30 Gy; range, 8-47 Gy; median number of fractions, 10; range, 1-25) for spinal metastasis at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center from 2006 to 2013. SINS was calculated for each lesion (range, 0-18). The primary endpoint was time from RT start to radiographically documented new or worsening fracture or last disease assessment.

Results: A total of 203 patients and 250 lesions were included in analysis. The percentages of lesions with SINS of 0 to 6, 7 to 12, and 13 to 18 were 38.8%, 54.8%, and 6.4%, respectively. Of 250 lesions, 20.4% developed new or worsening fractures; 14.4% for SINS 0 to 6, 21.2% for SINS 7 to 12, and 50.0% for SINS 13 to 18. Multivariate analysis adjusted for sex, age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, histology, and total dose indicated that, compared with stable lesions (SINS 0-6), potentially unstable lesions (SINS 7-12) demonstrated a greater likelihood of new or worsening fracture that was not statistically significant (hazard ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-3.22; P = .14), and unstable lesions (SINS 13-18) were significantly more likely to develop to new or worsening fracture (hazard ratio, HR,4.37, 95% confidence interval, 1.80-10.61; P = .001).

Conclusions: In this study of patients undergoing RT for spinal metastases, 20.4% developed new or worsening vertebral fractures. SINS is demonstrated to be a useful tool to assess fracture risk after RT.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2018.02.001DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

spinal metastases
16
worsening fracture
16
lesions sins
16
sins
12
spinal instability
8
instability neoplastic
8
neoplastic score
8
score sins
8
radiation therapy
8
total dose
8

Similar Publications

Objectives: To determine if piecemeal separation surgery, in conjunction with smaller treatment volumes utilized with spine stereotactic radiation therapy (S-SBRT), increased the risk of adjacent level progression (ALP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of adult spine oncologic patients who underwent SBRT to the spine at University of Michigan from 2010 to 2021. We compared ALP in patients undergoing SBRT who had pretreatment surgery with those who did not.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Microstructure of the human metastatic vertebral body.

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)

January 2025

Department of Industrial Engineering, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Introduction: Bone spinal metastases disrupt the bone homeostasis, inducing a local imbalance in the bone formation and/or resorption, with consequent loss of the structural optimisation of the vertebrae and increase of the risk of fracture. Little is known about the microstructure of the metastatic tissue, the microstructure of the tissue surrounding the lesion, and how it does compare with vertebrae with no lesions observed on the biomedical images. A comprehensive assessment of the microstructural properties of the entire vertebral body can be obtained with micro computed tomography.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status, recent advancements, and future directions in the management of metastatic spine disease using both radiotherapy and surgery. Emphasis has been put on the integrated use of radiotherapy and surgery, incorporating recent developments such as separation surgery, active dose sparing of the surgical field, and the implementation of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer implants. Future studies should explore the effects of minimizing the time between radiotherapy and surgery and investigate the potential of vertebral re-ossification after radiotherapy to obviate the need for stabilization surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathologic vertebral fractures (PVF) are common and serious complications in patients with metastatic lesions affecting the spine. Accurate assessment of cancer patients' PVF risk is an unmet clinical need. Load-to-strength ratios (LSRs) evaluated in vivo by estimating vertebral loading from biomechanical modeling and strength from computed tomography imaging (CT) have been associated with osteoporotic vertebral fractures in older adults.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Sigmoid colon cancer with spinal metastases is rare in distant metastasis. In addition, the prognosis of colon cancer patients with spinal metastases is extremely poor. In order to find effective therapeutic agents, we need to know the biological characteristics of such patients from related models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!