Effectiveness of a Specialized Outpatient Clinic on Bone Metastasis for Spine Surgeons Based on a Long-Term Follow-Up...

Advances in cancer treatment have improved the prognosis of patients with advanced cancer, and the number of patients with bone metastases is increasing. Early interventions, such as a multidisciplinary approach and a specialized outpatient clinic for bone metastasis (SOCBM), are important to prevent fractures and nerve disorders. However, few studies have directly compared the effectiveness of these measures before and after their initiation. We aimed to analyze the usefulness of SOCBM and its impact on spine surgeons in a larger number of cases.

We included 70 patients with vertebral metastases of carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment performed by spine surgeons. We divided the patients into two groups: before and after the SOCBM was initiated (pre and post groups), and compared their clinical characteristics and surgical information.

In all patients and in those treated for primary tumors at our hospital, the post group demonstrated a longer period from spine surgeon consultation to surgery than the pre group (p=0.0369 and p=0.0111, respectively). Additionally, the proportion of patients leaving the operating room after 8 pm was significantly lower in the post group (p=0.0471). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the period from spine surgeon consultation to surgery and leaving the operating room after 8 pm were significantly associated with SOCBM visits (p=0.0118 and p=0.0270, respectively).

SOCBM reduces the burden on spine surgeons by providing a margin before surgery for patients with spinal metastasis and by reducing delays for surgical management.