[Treatment of secondary cancer of the spine]

Sixty spinal metastases have been treated surgically. In 22 cases a posterior approach was made with decompression laminectomy and internal fixation. In 38 others an anterior approach was made to resect the vertebral body and replace it by cement. In the thoracic and lumbar spines, internal fixation after a posterior approach led to secondary displacement in five cases out of nine. In contrast, spines approached anteriorly remain stable. The results were analysed after a follow-up period ranging from six months to four years. In most of the cases there was a dramatic improvement in spinal and radicular pain. Twenty-three cases had neurological impairment and in 15 of them this was improved, sometimes with complete recovery. The authors consider that surgery is indicated in metastasis of the vertebral body with collapse of the vertebra and bony compression of the spinal canal. In these cases radiotherapy is relatively ineffective. In contrast the results obtained after surgery in cases with epidural involvement are not better than those obtained by radiotherapy. Surgery should therefore be used only in radioresistant tumours.