TY - JOUR
T1 - Stereotactic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases
T2 - A novel local control stratification by spinal region
AU - Kowalchuk, Roman O.
AU - Waters, Michael R.
AU - Martin Richardson, K.
AU - Spencer, Kelly
AU - Larner, James M.
AU - McAllister, William H.
AU - Sheehan, Jason P.
AU - Kersh, Charles R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© AANS 2021.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - OBJECTIVE This study evaluated a large cohort of patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases and investigated predictive factors for local control, local progression-free survival (LPFS), overall survival, and pain response between the different spinal regions. METHODS The study was undertaken via retrospective review at a single institution. Patients with a tumor metastatic to the spine were included, while patients with benign tumors or primary spinal cord cancers were excluded. Statistical analysis involved univariate analysis, Cox proportional hazards analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method, and machine learning techniques (decision-tree analysis). RESULTS A total of 165 patients with 190 distinct lesions met all inclusion criteria for the study. Lesions were distributed throughout the cervical (19%), thoracic (43%), lumbar (19%), and sacral (18%) spines. The most common treatment regimen was 24 Gy in 3 fractions (44%). Via the Kaplan-Meier method, the 24-month local control was 80%. Sacral spine lesions demonstrated decreased local control (p = 0.01) and LPFS (p < 0.005) compared with those of the thoracolumbar spine. The cervical spine cases had improved local control (p < 0.005) and LPFS (p < 0.005) compared with the sacral spine and trended toward improvement relative to the thoracolumbar spine. The 36-month local control rates for cervical, thoracolumbar, and sacral tumors were 86%, 73%, and 44%, respectively. Comparably, the 36-month LPFS rates for cervical, thoracolumbar, and sacral tumors were 85%, 67%, and 35%, respectively. A planning target volume (PTV) > 50 cm3 was also predictive of local failure (p = 0.04). Fewer cervical spine cases had disease with PTV > 50 cm3 than the thoracolumbar (p = 5.87 × 10−8) and sacral (p = 3.9 × 10−3) cases. Using decision-tree analysis, the highest-fidelity models for predicting pain-free status and local failure demonstrated the first splits as being cervical and sacral location, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a novel risk stratification for local failure and LPFS by spinal region. Patients with metastases to the sacral spine may have decreased local control due to increased PTV, especially with a PTV of > 50 cm3. Multidisciplinary care should be emphasized in these patients, and both surgical intervention and radiotherapy should be strongly considered.
AB - OBJECTIVE This study evaluated a large cohort of patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases and investigated predictive factors for local control, local progression-free survival (LPFS), overall survival, and pain response between the different spinal regions. METHODS The study was undertaken via retrospective review at a single institution. Patients with a tumor metastatic to the spine were included, while patients with benign tumors or primary spinal cord cancers were excluded. Statistical analysis involved univariate analysis, Cox proportional hazards analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method, and machine learning techniques (decision-tree analysis). RESULTS A total of 165 patients with 190 distinct lesions met all inclusion criteria for the study. Lesions were distributed throughout the cervical (19%), thoracic (43%), lumbar (19%), and sacral (18%) spines. The most common treatment regimen was 24 Gy in 3 fractions (44%). Via the Kaplan-Meier method, the 24-month local control was 80%. Sacral spine lesions demonstrated decreased local control (p = 0.01) and LPFS (p < 0.005) compared with those of the thoracolumbar spine. The cervical spine cases had improved local control (p < 0.005) and LPFS (p < 0.005) compared with the sacral spine and trended toward improvement relative to the thoracolumbar spine. The 36-month local control rates for cervical, thoracolumbar, and sacral tumors were 86%, 73%, and 44%, respectively. Comparably, the 36-month LPFS rates for cervical, thoracolumbar, and sacral tumors were 85%, 67%, and 35%, respectively. A planning target volume (PTV) > 50 cm3 was also predictive of local failure (p = 0.04). Fewer cervical spine cases had disease with PTV > 50 cm3 than the thoracolumbar (p = 5.87 × 10−8) and sacral (p = 3.9 × 10−3) cases. Using decision-tree analysis, the highest-fidelity models for predicting pain-free status and local failure demonstrated the first splits as being cervical and sacral location, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a novel risk stratification for local failure and LPFS by spinal region. Patients with metastases to the sacral spine may have decreased local control due to increased PTV, especially with a PTV of > 50 cm3. Multidisciplinary care should be emphasized in these patients, and both surgical intervention and radiotherapy should be strongly considered.
KW - Local control
KW - Metastasis
KW - Oncology
KW - SABR
KW - SBRT
KW - Stereotactic ablative radiosurgery
KW - Stereotactic body radiation therapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100151202&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3171/2020.6.SPINE20861
DO - 10.3171/2020.6.SPINE20861
M3 - Article
C2 - 33096522
AN - SCOPUS:85100151202
SN - 1547-5654
VL - 34
SP - 267
EP - 276
JO - Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
JF - Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
IS - 2
ER -