Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35860387›Full record

ReviewJournal of bone oncology2022

Epidemiology of spinal metastases, metastatic epidural spinal cord compression and pathologic vertebral compression fractures in patients with solid tumors: A systematic review.

Ruben Van den Brande, Erwin Mj Cornips, Marc Peeters, Piet Ost, Charlotte Billiet, Erik Van de Kelft

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of bone oncology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 112 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
112citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
33.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

112 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 171 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Guideline
  3. Diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities for detection of spinal metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. The experiences and needs of metastatic spinal cancer family caregivers at home: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Pooled it
  7. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) practice patterns for spine metastases in Spain: a national survey by the SRS/SBRT SEOR (Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology) Working Group.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Article
  8. [Intraspinal extradural tumors].Radiologie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. The role of surgical timing in survival of patients with spinal metastases.International journal of clinical oncology · 2026
    Article
  13. Surgery of the tumors of the spine.EFORT open reviews · 2026
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Unilateral biportal endoscopic transpedicular intrabody cage augmentation for a metastatic spinal tumor with pathologic fracture: a technical note and case report.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 · 2026
    Article
  19. Development and psychometric validation of the short-form thai version of the spine oncology study group outcomes questionnaire (TH-SOSGOQ-8D).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 · 2026
    Article
  20. Article

52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Ruben Van den BrandeUniversity of Antwerp, Belgium.
Erwin Mj CornipsDepartment of Neurosurgery, Ziekenhuis Oost Limburg Genk, Belgium.
Marc PeetersUniversity of Antwerp, Belgium.
Piet OstIridium Network, Antwerp, Belgium.
Charlotte BillietIridium Network, Antwerp, Belgium.
Erik Van de KelftUniversity of Antwerp, Belgium.
Iridium Kankernetwerk · BEUniversity of Antwerp · BEAntwerp University Hospital · BEZiekenhuis Oost-Limburg · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Spinal metastases (SM) are a frequent complication of cancer and may lead to pathologic vertebral compression fractures (pVCF) and/or metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). Based on autopsy studies, it is estimated that about one third of all cancer patients will develop SM. These data may not provide a correct estimation of the incidence in clinical practice. Objective: This systematic review (SR) aims to provide a more accurate estimation of the incidence of SM, MESCC and pVCF in a clinical setting. Methods: We performed a SR of papers regarding epidemiology of SM, pVCF, and MESCC in patients with solid tumors conform PRISMA guidelines. A search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science database using the terms epidemiology, prevalence, incidence, global burden of disease, cost of disease, spinal metastas*, metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, pathologic fracture, vertebral compression fracture, vertebral metastas* and spinal neoplasms. Papers published between 1975 and august 2021 were included. Quality was evaluated by the STROBE criteria. Results: While 56 studies were included, none of them reports the actual definition used for MESCC and pVCF, inevitably introducing heterogenity. The overall cumulative incidence of SM and MESCC is 15.67% and 2.84% respectively in patients with a solid tumor. We calculated a mean cumulative incidence in patients with SM of 9.56% (95% CI 5.70%-13.42%) for MESCC and 12.63% (95% CI 7.00%-18.25%) for pVCF. Studies show an important delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis. Conclusions: While the overall cumulative incidence for clinically diagnosed SM in patients with a solid tumor is 15.67%, autopsy studies reveal that SM are present in 30% by the time they die, suggesting underdiagnosing of SM. Approximately 1 out of 10 patients with SM will develop MESCC and another 12.6% will develop a pVCF. Understanding these epidemiologic data, should increase awareness for first symptoms, allowing early diagnosis and subsequent treatment, thus improving overall outcome.

Indexed as

CA, carcinomaCI, confidence intervalEpidemiologyHCC, hepatocellular carcinomaLOL, length of lifeMESCC, metastastic epidural spinal cord compressionMetastatic epidural spinal cord compressionMRI, magnetic resonance imagingOncologyOR, odds ratioPathologic vertebral compression fracturePRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysespVCF, pathologic vertebral compression fracturesQOL, quality of lifeRCT, randomized controlled trialrMESCC, subclinical radiographic MESCCSINS, spinal instability neoplastic scoreSM, spinal metastasesSpinal metastasesSRE, skeletal related eventSR, systematic reviewSTROBE, Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiologyST, solid tumorWHO, World Health Organization

Identifiers

PMID35860387
PMCPMC9289863
OpenAlexW4284971781

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.