Citations

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.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is a standardized tool for assessing malnutrition in patients with cancer. The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative nutritional status as measured by PG-SGA on survival in patients requiring surgical intervention and/or radiotherapy for spinal metastases. METHODS: Patients with spinal metastases who underwent surgery and/or radiation therapy for symptomatic spinal metastases were enrolled in the AO Spine Metastatic Tumor Research and Outcomes Network, a prospective international multicenter research registry, between September 2017 and August 2022. Using the PG-SGA, nutritional status was classified into 3 categories: A, well nourished; B, moderately malnourished; and C, severely malnourished. RESULTS: A total of 589 patients met the inclusion criteria; 362 were classified as well nourished (61%), 159 were moderately malnourished (27%), and 68 were severely malnourished (12%). The median survival was 491 days, 328 days, and 117 days for well-nourished, moderately malnourished, and severely malnourished patients, respectively. In the multivariate analyses, severe malnourishment (HR 2.5 95% CI 1.4-4.3, P < .01) and an ECOG performance status of 3 or 4 (HR 2.7 95% CI 1.2-6.0) remained associated with significantly worse survival. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition as measured by the PG-SGA demonstrated to be significantly and independently associated with postoperative survival. The PG-SGA is a simple and useful tool to identify spinal metastases patients at risk of early postoperative mortality, and inclusion in the preoperative evaluation of these patients should be considered.

Study Design Narrative Review. Objectives To summarize the work of the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor, specifically studies from the Epidemiology, Process and Outcomes in Spine Oncology (EPOSO) study. Methods A narrative review of all published manuscripts from the EPOSO study was undertaken. EPOSO represents a multicenter, prospective registry effort across 10 North American and European sites to enroll patients with metastatic disease of the spine. Results The current review summarized all studies from the EPOSO network, divided into the following five sections: (1) quality of life and satisfaction, (2) overall survival, (3) spinal instability, (4) neurologic outcome in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression or radicular pain, and (5) patient and tumor-specific factors. Several important findings were elucidated. Patient evaluation should include SINS, nutritional status, severity and duration of neurologic deficit, extent of metastatic tumor burden, and differentiation of axial from radicular pain. Moreover, SOSGOQ2.0 serves as a useful and validated instrument for patient-reported outcome instrument. Despite the palliative nature of metastatic spine surgery, clear improvement in quality-of-life is seen. Even in patients with short-survival, the remaining weeks and months of life result in improved quality-of-life. Metastatic spine surgery often improves neurologic function, potentially enhancing survival through increased performance status. Conclusions Several noteworthy results have come from the EPOSO network, highlighting important trends in metastatic spine care. The AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor has helped advancing metastatic spine tumor research as well as ensure these new findings reach and benefit clinicians and their patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aggressive resection for primary tumors of the spine are associated with a high rate of adverse events (AEs), but the impact of AEs on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) remains unknown and is critical to the shared decision-making. Our primary objective was to assess the impact of surgical AEs on PROs using an international registry. Assessing the impact on clinical outcomes and identifying risk factors for AEs were our secondary objectives. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for a primary spinal tumor were selected through the Primary Tumor Research and Outcomes Network. Our primary outcome was the impact of AEs on PROs at 3 and 12 months after surgery (measured with Spinal Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire, Short-Form 36, and EuroQol 5 Dimension). We also assessed the impact on clinical outcomes (local control, surgical margins, readmission, reoperation, and mortality). We stratified our results according to severity of AEs, histology, and type of resection. RESULTS: 374 patients met inclusion criteria (219 males/155 females). The mean age of the cohort was 48.7 years. The most frequent histology was chordoma (37.3%) followed by chondrosarcoma (8.8%). Sixty-seven patients (17.9%) experienced at least 1 intraoperative AE and 117 patients (31.3%) had at least 1 postoperative AE within 3 months. Overall, 159 patients (42.5%) experienced AEs. The readmission rate was significantly higher in patients who experienced AEs (Any AE: 10.1% vs no AE: 1.9% within 3 months; P = <0.001). PROs were not significantly affected by AEs in most questionnaires. Local control, risk of reoperation, mortality, and achieving preplanned margins were similar between AE groups. CONCLUSION: The rate of surgical AEs is considerable in this population. Surgical AEs seem to be associated with a higher number of readmissions, but do not seem to result in significant differences in PROs or in a higher risk of reoperation, mortality, and failure to achieve preplanned margins.

Study Design. Retrospective review of prospective, multicenter and international cohort study. Objective. To describe the effect of gender on HRQoL, clinical outcomes and survival for patients with spinal metastases treated with either surgery and/or radiation. Summary of Background Data. Gender differences in health-related outcomes are demonstrated in numerous studies, with women experiencing worse outcomes and receiving lower standards of care than men, however, the influence that gender has on low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and clinical outcomes after spine surgery remains unclear. Methods. Patient demographic data, overall survival, treatment details, perioperative complications, and HRQoL measures including EQ-5D, pain NRS, the short form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) and the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSGOQ2.0) were reviewed. Patients were stratified by sex, and a separate sensitivity analysis that excluded gender-specific cancers (i.e., breast, prostate, etc.) was performed. Results. The study cohort included 207 female and 183 male patients, with age, smoking status, and site of primary cancer being significantly different between the two cohorts (P<0.001). Both males and females experienced significantly improved SOSGOQ2.0, EQ-5D, and pain NRS scores at all study time points from baseline (P<0.001). Upon sensitivity analysis, (gender-specific cancers removed from analysis), the significant improvement in SOSGOQ physical, mental, and social subdomains and on SF-36 domains disappeared for females. Males experienced higher rates of postoperative complications. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of both the overall and sensitivity analysis cohorts showed females lived longer than males after treatment (P=0.001 and 0.043, respectively). Conclusion. Both males and females experienced significantly improved HRQoL scores after treatment, but females demonstrated longer survival and a lower complication rate. This study suggests that gender may be a prognostic factor in survival and clinical outcomes for patients undergoing treatment for spine metastases and should be taken into consideration when counseling patients accordingly.