Short-term assessment of functional outcomes and quality of life after thoracic and lumbar spinal metastasis surgery.

BACKGROUND

Because of improvements in initial tumor identification and treatment, as well as longer life expectancies, more people are receiving diagnoses for spinal metastases.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess early functional outcomes and quality of life (QOL) after surgical management of patients with spinal metastases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, a total of 33 patients with thoracic and lumbar spine metastases who underwent surgical management between November 2021 and August 2023 were followed up for 1 year or until death. Oswestry Disability Index and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status were used for the functional outcome; QOL was assessed using European Quality of Life 5-Dimensions (EuroQOL-5D). Scores were recorded preoperatively, 4 weeks postoperatively, and 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

The mean age was 52.12 ± 13.4 years (range: 23-70 years), 22 (66.7%) were females, and 11 (33.3%) were males. Patients were divided into three groups according to the revised Katagiri score: 12 (36.4%) patients were at low risk (0-3), 18 (54.5%) patients were at intermediate risk (4-6), and 3 (9.1%) patients were at high risk (7-10). The mean survival was 5.44 ± 3.46 months (range 1-13), and there was no perioperative death (within 1 month postoperative). Sixteen (48.5%) patients survived for more than 1 year and 17 (51.5%) patients died from different causes related to the natural history of tumor metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Following surgical treatment of the spinal metastases, improvements in QoL and functional results were seen in the short-term. For patients with a projected life expectancy of longer than 3 months, surgery is a good alternative.