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Published on: December 27, 2024
Evolution of surgical treatment of metastatic spine tumors
Patricia Zadnik Sullivan1, Tianyi Niu2, Jose Fernandez Abinader2
1Department of Neurosurgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, 593 Eddy St, APC 6, Providence, RI, 02903, USA. Patricia_sullivan@brown.edu.
Purpose:
The treatment of cancer has transformed over the past 40 years, with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons working together to prolong survival times and minimize treatment related morbidity. With each advancement, the risk-benefit scale has been calibrated to provide an accurate assessment of surgical hazard. The goal of this review is to look back at how the role of surgery has evolved with each new medical advance, and to explore the role of surgeons in the future of cancer care.
Methods:
A literature review was conducted, highlighting the key papers guiding surgical management of spinal metastatic lesions.
Conclusion:
The roles of surgery, medical therapy, and radiation have evolved over the past 40 years, with new advances requiring complex multidisciplinary care.
