Acute Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression: Urgent Surgery versus Radiotherapy and Treatment Result Prediction versus Actual Results

This study investigates the best treatment for acute metastatic spinal cord compression (AMSCC), a condition where cancer spreads to the spine and presses on the spinal cord. The researchers compared urgent surgery followed by radiotherapy to radiotherapy alone. The study found that patients who underwent surgery followed by radiotherapy had better outcomes in terms of motor strength, sphincter control, and ambulation compared to those who received radiotherapy alone. Surgery helped patients regain function and mobility. The ability to predict patient lifespan using prognostic scores was also evaluated. The study found that these scores were not always accurate, suggesting a need for further investigation into more reliable prediction methods.

• 1
  Patients treated with urgent surgery followed by radiotherapy (USFR) showed significant improvement in motor strength compared to those treated with radiotherapy alone.
• 2
  A greater percentage of patients who underwent USFR regained sphincter function compared to those treated with radiotherapy alone.
• 3
  The study found that prognostic scores like Tomita and Tokuhashi failed to accurately predict life span in almost one-third of the patients.