Wei, Feng

OBJECTIVE Chordomas are rare, locally aggressive primary neoplasms. Resection with negative margins is the primary recommended therapeutic approach, while adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy can also play a role in their treatment in certain situations, including lesions with positive margins or those that are poorly differentiated or dedifferentiated. Cervical spine chordomas pose significant surgical challenges given their proximity to critical anatomical structures and the mechanical constraints of the cervical spine. In the current case series, authors aimed to explore the clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the surgical treatment of cervical chordomas in a large multicenter cohort. METHODS This multicenter case series analysis utilized data from the prospectively collected Primary Tumor Research and Outcomes Network (PTRON) registry, from its inception (May 16, 2016) to data extraction (February 29, 2024). The study population was restricted to patients with histologically confirmed cervical chordomas involving levels C0–7, who underwent surgical treatment at one of the participating centers, and for whom both the initially planned and postoperatively pathologically confirmed surgical margins were documented. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical and adjuvant treatments, local recurrence–free survival (LRFS), overall survival (OS), and perioperative adverse events were retrieved. PROs included the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire version 2.0 (SOSGOQ2.0), EQ-5D, and SF-36 version 2.0 (SF-36v2). RESULTS Thirty-eight patients were identified, 12 of whom underwent true en bloc resection (EBR), 18 of whom underwent deliberate intralesional resection, and 8 of whom underwent EBR after intralesional surgery or in whom EBR failed. True EBR led to better LRFS (92% vs 83% vs 63%, respectively) and OS (83% vs 39% vs 50%, respectively). Surgical adverse events within 1 year were more frequent with true EBR (100% vs 39% vs 75%, respectively). EQ-5D, SOSGOQ2.0, and SF-36v2 showed improvement with true EBR, whereas the trends for PROs from the other groups were more variable. CONCLUSIONS This multicenter case series analysis provides critical insights into the clinical outcomes and PROs in the largest cohort of surgically treated cervical spine chordomas described to date. It underscores the importance and challenges of wide resection for oncological control. It establishes the associated morbidity and provides an overview of PROs following surgery. These findings contribute valuable evidence to inform shared decision-making and optimize patient care.

Study Design Narrative Review. Objectives To summarize the scientific contributions generated from the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor (AOSKFT) databases, focusing on primary spine tumors, and highlight key findings, research trends, and future directions. Methods Data from the Primary Tumor Retrospective (PT-Retro) and Primary Tumor Research Outcome Network (PTRON) registries were analyzed. The nineteen studies included were peer-reviewed manuscripts focused on primary spine tumors, excluding abstracts, book chapters, systematic reviews, and metastatic studies. Results The PT-Retro registry compiled data from 1495 patients across 18 primary tumor histologies, offering insights into recurrence, survival, and treatment paradigms. Key findings emphasize the importance of Enneking-appropriate (EA) resection in improving survival and reducing recurrence in tumors such as chordoma, chondrosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. Genetic markers, including hTERT promoter mutations and rs2305089 SNP, were linked to prognosis in specific histologies. Benign tumors, such as giant cell tumors and aneurysmal bone cysts, demonstrated variable outcomes with different surgical approaches and selective arterial embolization. Conclusions The AOSKFT registries have significantly advanced knowledge in primary spine tumor management, emphasizing preoperative staging, surgical margins, and multidisciplinary approaches. International, multicentric registries are essential for studying rare diseases like primary spine tumors, enabling robust data collection, improved statistical power, and broader applicability of findings across diverse clinical settings. Ongoing prospective data collection through PTRON will further refine evidence-based care for these rare and challenging conditions.

OBJECTIVE Oncological resection of primary spine tumors is associated with lower recurrence rates. However, even in the most experienced hands, the execution of a meticulously drafted plan sometimes fails. The objectives of this study were to determine how successful surgical teams are at achieving planned surgical margins and how successful surgeons are in intraoperatively assessing tumor margins. The secondary objective was to identify factors associated with successful execution of planned resection. METHODS The Primary Tumor Research and Outcomes Network (PTRON) is a multicenter international prospective registry for the management of primary tumors of the spine. Using this registry, the authors compared 1) the planned surgical margin and 2) the intraoperative assessment of the margin by the surgeon with the postoperative assessment of the margin by the pathologist. Univariate analysis was used to assess whether factors such as histology, size, location, previous radiotherapy, and revision surgery were associated with successful execution of the planned margins. RESULTS Three hundred patients were included. The surgical plan was successfully achieved in 224 (74.7%) patients. The surgeon correctly assessed the intraoperative margins, as reported in the final assessment by the pathologist, in 239 (79.7%) patients. On univariate analysis, no factor had a statistically significant influence on successful achievement of planned margins. CONCLUSIONS In high-volume cancer centers around the world, planned surgical margins can be achieved in approximately 75% of cases. The morbidity of the proposed intervention must be balanced with the expected success rate in order to optimize patient management and surgical decision-making.