These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Ambulation and survival following surgery in elderly patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression.
    Author: Itshayek E, Candanedo C, Fraifeld S, Hasharoni A, Kaplan L, Schroeder JE, Cohen JE.
    Journal: Spine J; 2018 Jul; 18(7):1211-1221. PubMed ID: 29289669.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a disabling consequence of disease progression. Surgery can restore or preserve physical function, improving access to treatments that increase duration of survival; however, advanced patient age may deter oncologists and surgeons from considering surgical management. PURPOSE: Evaluate the duration of ambulation and survival in elderly patients following surgical decompression of MESCC. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective file review of a prospective database, under institutional review board (IRB) waiver of informed consent, of consecutive patients treated in an academic tertiary care medical center from August 2008 to March 2015. PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients ≥65 years presenting neurological and/or radiological signs of cord compression because of metastatic disease, who underwent surgical decompression. OUTCOME MEASURES: Duration of ambulation and survival. METHODS: Patients underwent urgent multidisciplinary evaluation and surgery. Ambulation and survival were compared with age, pre-, and postoperative neurological (American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] Impairment Scale [AIS]) and performance status (Karnofsky Performance Status [KPS]), and Tokuhashi Score using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cox regression model, log-rank analysis, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Forty patients were included (21 male, 54%; mean age 74 years, range 65-87). Surgery was performed a mean 3.8 days after onset of motor symptoms. Mean duration of ambulation and survival were 474 (range 0-1662) and 525 days (range 11-1662), respectively; 53% of patients (21 of 40) survived and 43% (17 of 40) retained ambulation for ≥1 year. There was no significant relationship between survival and ambulation for patients aged 65-69, 70-79, or 80-89 years, although Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested stratification. There was a significant relationship between duration of ambulation and pre- and postoperative AIS (p=.0342, p=.0358, respectively) and postoperative KPS (p=.0221). Tokuhashi score was not significantly related to duration of survival or ambulation, and greatly underestimated life expectancy in 22 of 37 (59%) patients with scores 0-11. CONCLUSIONS: Decompressive surgery led to marked improvement in neurological function and performance status. More than 50% of patients survived for >1 year, some for 3 years or more after surgery.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]