Clinical Decision Making: Integrating Advances in the Molecular Understanding of Spine Tumors

Genetic Testing for Successful Cancer Treatment

Cancer genetic testing is a revolutionary medical approach that involves the assessment of genetic markers in asymptomatic individuals to predict their future susceptibility to cancer. This paradigm shift in early detection and intervention has the potential to profoundly alter our strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. One pivotal area where genetic testing can have a significant impact is among families with a hereditary predisposition to cancer. Recent research has seen a surge in the exploration of how individuals perceive their cancer risk within the realm of cancer genetics. This proactive approach to genetic testing allows healthcare professionals to identify family members who may carry the same cancer-related genetic mutations, empowering them to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare and cancer risk management. Genetic testing for cancer-related disorders has significantly improved in accuracy and affordability, potentially revolutionizing monitoring and treatment methods. The expanding knowledge of genetic mutations associated with cancer susceptibility has driven significant progress in cancer therapy. Identifying numerous major cancer susceptibility genes has propelled predictive genetic testing, providing individuals with valuable insights into their genetic predisposition to cancer. While perceived risk plays a vital role in genetic counseling, it is equally essential to offer comprehensive information about the advantages and potential risks associated with genetic testing. Ensuring that individuals have a clear understanding of the benefits and potential drawbacks of genetic testing is imperative for making informed healthcare decisions. In our comprehensive review, researchers explored several critical aspects of genetic testing in the context of cancer, including awareness and knowledge, the communication of cancer genetic risk, genetic testing for inherited cancer syndromes, and the challenges and limitations linked to genetic testing. Through this examination, we aim to illuminate the transformative potential of genetic testing in cancer prevention and treatment.

The Outcome of Molecularly Targeted Therapy after Surgical Treatment of Spinal Metastasis

The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes of molecularly targeted therapy after surgical treatment of spinal metastasis. Participants comprised 164 patients who underwent surgical treatment of spinal metastasis, divided according to whether molecularly targeted therapy was performed. We compared survival, local recurrence of metastasis detected by imaging, the disease-free interval, relapses of neurological deterioration, and the ability to walk between groups. Molecularly targeted drugs were administered to 39 patients after surgery (TT group) and were not administered to 125 patients (non-TT group). Median survival was significantly longer in the TT group (1027 days) than in the non-TT group (439 days, p < 0.01). Local recurrence occurred in 25 patients in the non-TT group and 10 patients in the TT group. The disease-free interval did not differ between groups. Neurological deterioration was observed in three patients in the non-TT group and no patients in the TT group. The ability to walk was preserved in 97.6% of patients in the TT group and 88% of patients in the non-TT group (p = 0.12). In conclusion, molecularly targeted drugs improve survival in patients with spinal metastasis but do not alter local control of metastatic tumors.

Correlation Between Gait and Life Expectancy in Patients with Spinal Metastases

BACKGROUND

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) may lead to walking disability. The effect of regaining gait ability on the life expectancy of cancer patients is still unknown. To explore this issue, we evaluated the effect of gait ability recovery in nonambulatory patients after treatment for a metastatic spinal tumor.

METHODS

In total, 105 patients who underwent surgery for MESCC between January 2006 and December 2016 and survived longer than 3 months were enrolled. All the patients were nonambulatory because of the MESCC and had undergone posterior decompression and fixation with intraoperative radiotherapy. At postoperative month 3, patients who had regained their gait ability were categorized as ambulatory and those who had not were categorized as nonambulatory. Age, sex, prognosis score (modified Bauer score), preoperative and postoperative Frankel grade scores, tumor origin site, Charlson comorbidity index, and survival time were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Seventy-two patients regained gait ability at postoperative month 3, and 33 patients did not. The modified Bauer score did not differ between the groups (P = 0.08); therefore, the presumptive life expectancy of the groups before treatment was not biased. The median survival time was significantly longer in the ambulatory group (610 days) than that in the nonambulatory group (181 days, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who regained their gait ability after treatment for MESCC tended to live longer than those who did not, indicating that recovery of gait ability by patients with cancer is associated with improved life expectancy.

A Multiparametric Method Based on Clinical and CT-Based Radiomics to Predict the Expression of p53 and VEGF in Patients With Spinal Giant Cell Tumor of Bone

Purpose

This project aimed to assess the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and p53 for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with spinal giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and to construct models for predicting these two biomarkers based on clinical and computer tomography (CT) radiomics to identify high-risk patients for improving treatment.

Material and Methods

A retrospective study was performed from April 2009 to January 2019. A total of 80 patients with spinal GCTB who underwent surgery in our institution were identified. VEGF and p53 expression and clinical and general imaging information were collected. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to verify the prognostic factors. The radiomics features were extracted from the regions of interest (ROIs) in preoperative CT, and then important features were selected by the SVM to build classification models, evaluated by 10-fold crossvalidation. The clinical variables were processed using the same method to build a conventional model for comparison.

Results

The immunohistochemistry of 80 patients was obtained: 49 with high-VEGF and 31 with low-VEGF, 68 with wild-type p53, and 12 with mutant p53. p53 and VEGF were independent prognostic factors affecting PFS found in multivariate Cox regression analysis. For VEGF, the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) was greater in the high than low groups, p &lt; 0.001. For p53, SINS (p = 0.030) and Enneking stage (p = 0.017) were higher in mutant than wild-type groups. The VEGF radiomics model built using 3 features achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88, and the p53 radiomics model built using 4 features had an AUC of 0.79. The conventional model built using SINS, and the Enneking stage had a slightly lower AUC of 0.81 for VEGF and 0.72 for p53.

Conclusion

p53 and VEGF are associated with prognosis in patients with spinal GCTB, and the radiomics analysis based on preoperative CT provides a feasible method for the evaluation of these two biomarkers, which may aid in choosing better management strategies.

The Challenges of Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastatic to the Spine: A Systematic Review of Survival and Treatment

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this systematic review was to answer 2 key questions: (1) What is the clinical presentation and probability of symptomatic improvement following treatment for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the spine? (2) What is the overall survival of patients diagnosed with spinal metastases from RCC?

METHODS

A literature review was performed to identify articles that reported on survival, clinical outcomes, and/or prognostic factors in the RCC population with spinal metastases from 1986 to 2016.

RESULTS

Forty-eight articles (807 patients) were included. The Fuhrman Nuclear Grade has been significantly associated with survival in previous studies but was underpowered in the current study. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Score (MSKCC/Motzer) was also underpowered in the current study. From the time of spinal metastasis, the mean and median survival for patients with previously diagnosed primary RCC was 8.75 and 11.7 months, respectively, whereas synchronously diagnosed patients (primary RCC and spinal metastasis) had a mean and median survival of 6.75 and 11 months, respectively. Patients with a "low" (0-8), "intermediate" (9-11), or "high" (12-15) revised Tokuhashi score at initial presentation had a median survival of 5.4, 11.7, and 32.9 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Patients with either a synchronous or latent diagnosis of RCC survived greater than 6 months from the time of presentation. Initial Furhman grade, Tokuhashi score, and MSKCC/Motzer can be useful tools in informing patient-specific prognosis for those with metastatic RCC of the spine.

State of the Art Treatment of Spinal Metastatic Disease

Treatment paradigms for patients with spine metastases have evolved significantly over the past decade. Incorporating stereotactic radiosurgery into these paradigms has been particularly transformative, offering precise delivery of tumoricidal radiation doses with sparing of adjacent tissues. Evidence supports the safety and efficacy of radiosurgery as it currently offers durable local tumor control with low complication rates even for tumors previously considered radioresistant to conventional radiation. The role for surgical intervention remains consistent, but a trend has been observed toward less aggressive, often minimally invasive, techniques. Using modern technologies and improved instrumentation, surgical outcomes continue to improve with reduced morbidity. Additionally, targeted agents such as biologics and checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer care, improving both local control and patient survivals. These advances have brought forth a need for new prognostication tools and a more critical review of long-term outcomes. The complex nature of current treatment schemes necessitates a multidisciplinary approach including surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, interventionalists, and pain specialists. This review recapitulates the current state-of-the-art, evidence-based data on the treatment of spinal metastases, integrating these data into a decision framework, NOMS, which integrates the 4 sentinel decision points in metastatic spine tumors: Neurologic, Oncologic, Mechanical stability, and Systemic disease and medical co-morbidities.

Integrating Evidence-Based Medicine for Treatment of Spinal Metastases Into a Decision Framework: Neurologic, Oncologic, Mechanicals Stability, and Systemic Disease

Patients with cancer are frequently affected by spinal metastases. Treatment is palliative, with the principle goals of pain relief, preservation of neurologic function, and improvement in quality of life. In the past decade, we have witnessed a dramatic change in the treatment paradigms due to the development of improved surgical strategies and systemic and radiation therapy. The most important change to these paradigms has been the integration of spinal stereotactic radiosurgery (SSRS), allowing delivery of tumoricidal radiation doses with sparing of nearby organs at risk. High-dose SSRS provides durable tumor control when used either as definitive therapy or as a postoperative adjuvant therapy. Integration of SSRS has fundamentally changed the indications for and type of surgery performed for metastatic spine tumors. Although the role for surgical intervention is well established, a clear trend toward less-aggressive, often minimally invasive techniques has been observed. Targeted therapies are also rapidly changing the way cancer is being treated and have demonstrated improved survival for a number of malignancies. As these treatment decisions become more complex, a multidisciplinary approach including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, interventionalists, and pain specialists is required. In this article, the current evidence affecting the treatment of spinal metastases is integrated into a decision framework that considers four principal assessments of a patient's spine disease: NOMS (neurologic, oncologic, mechanical instability, and systemic disease).