Observational studyNeurosurgery2020
Metastatic Spine Disease: Should Patients With Short Life Expectancy Be Denied Surgical Care? An International Retrospective Cohort Study.
Observational study in Neurosurgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Quality of life in patients with malignant spinal cord compression: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Pooled it
- The transformative role of SBRT in the management of spinal metastases.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2026Review
- Association Between Nutritional Status and Survival in Patients Requiring Treatment for Spinal Metastases.Neurosurgery · 2026Article
- Impact of complications on survival after surgery for metastatic spinal cord compression.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Spine surgery for metastatic spine cancer in the era of advanced radiation therapy.Asian spine journal · 2026Article
- Regional variability and economic impact on surgical practices for metastatic spinal disease in Europe - a survey on spine surgeons.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Clinical Outcomes of Surgery Versus Radiotherapy in Bilsky Grade 3 Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- The AO Spine Knowledge Forums: A Decade of Impactful Spine Research.Global spine journal · 2025Article
- Advances in Metastatic Disease Spinal Oncology: Novel Technology Without Forgetting the Fundamentals of Surgical Treatment.Neurospine · 2025Article
- Article
- Health- related quality of life after surgery for spinal metastases.Journal of bone oncology · 2025Article
- Patterns of Treatment Delay in Patients with Symptomatic Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression.Cancers · 2025Article
- Prevention and Management of Posterior Wound Complications Following Oncologic Spine Surgery: Narrative Review of Available Evidence and Proposed Clinical Decision-Making Algorithm.Global spine journal · 2025Article
- Determinants of Overall and Readmission-Free Survival in Patients with Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression.Cancers · 2024Article
- Review
- Are Current Survival Prediction Tools Useful When Treating Subsequent Skeletal-related Events From Bone Metastases?Clinical orthopaedics and related research · 2024Article
- Prognostic Factors after Surgical Treatment for Spinal Metastases.Asian spine journal · 2024Article
- Article
- Article
- More help than harm: surgery for metastatic spinal cord compression is associated with more favorable overall survival within a propensity score analysis.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDespite our inability to accurately predict survival in many cancer patients, a life expectancy of at least 3 mo is historically necessary to be considered for surgical treatment of spinal metastases.
objectiveTo compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients surviving <3 mo after surgical treatment to patients surviving >3 mo to assess the validity of this inclusion criteria.
methodsPatients who underwent surgery for spinal metastases between August 2013 and May 2017 were retrospectively identified from an international cohort study. HRQOL was evaluated using generic and disease-specific outcome tools at baseline and at 6 and 12 wk postsurgery. The primary outcome was the HRQOL at 6 wk post-treatment measured by the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire (SOSGOQ).
resultsA total of 253 patients were included: 40 patients died within the first 3 mo after surgery and 213 patients survived more than 3 mo. Patients surviving <3 mo after surgery presented with lower baseline performance status. Adjusted analyses for baseline performance status did not reveal a significant difference in HRQOL between both groups at 6 wk post-treatment. No significant difference in patient satisfaction at 6 wk with regard to their treatment could be detected between both groups.
conclusionWhen controlled for baseline performance status, quality of life 6 wk after surgery for spinal metastasis is independent of survival. To optimize improvement in HRQOL for this patient population, baseline performance status should take priority over expected survival in the surgical decision-making process.
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