Spinal Sarcoma Research Articles

A systematic review of stereotactic radiosurgery for metastatic spinal sarcomas.

Sarcomas metastasizing to the spine are a rare entity. Ideally an En-bloc resection is necessary to achieve durable local control (LC) rates. However, anatomical constraints often limit the degree of tumor resection. Because of this, other therapeutic modalities either replacing or as an adjuvant to resection are necessary. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a reasonable candidate therapy. We conducted a systematic review of the literature using the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane library. We used a combination of the following terms connected by boolean operators: "Metastatic Sarcoma, Sarcoma of the Spine, Spine Sarcoma, Metastasis, stereotactic radiosurgery, SRS." All retrospective and prospective cohorts, as well as randomized control trials reporting on patients with histopathologically confirmed metastatic sarcomas of the bony elements of the vertebrae, thecal sac, cord, or associated soft tissues of the spine were included. We excluded animal studies, case reports, case series, patients < 18 (pediatric cohorts), review articles and meta-analyses. No date filters were applied to our search. Our final analysis included 5 studies ranging from 2009 to 2024 reporting on 260 patients and 371 associated lesions. Leiomyosarcoma was the most frequently reported histologic subtype (60%). Most lesions were localized to the thoracic spine (48.6%). 75% of studies reported a median dose < 30Gy, and achieved biologically equivalent doses (BEDs) ranging from < 50-100. Pooled 1-year median survival was 64.5% (IQR: 61.8-75.10). Pooled 1-year median LC was 86% (IQR: 79.4-88.5). Three of five studies (60%) for OS and 4/5 (80%) for LC had data availability suitable for meta-analysis. The 1-year OS and LC rates proportions across these studies were 67% (proportion = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.57-0.75, p = 0.07, I2 = 63%), and 84% (proportion = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.78-0.89, p = 0.10, I2 = 52%) respectively. Median follow up across all studies was 18 months (IQR:12.7-31.3). SRS is a reasonable alternative therapy in either the up front, salvage or adjuvant setting which can facilitate durable LC.

Advances in the multidisciplinary surgical approach to primary spinal sarcomas: insights from a retrospective case series on outcomes and survival

IntroductionThe management of spinal sarcomas is complex, given their widespread involvement and high recurrence rates. Despite consensus on the need for a multidisciplinary approach with surgery at its core, there is a lack of definitive guidelines for clinical decision-making. This study examines a case series of primary spinal sarcomas, focusing on the surgical strategies, clinical results, and survival data to inform and guide therapeutic practices.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgical resection for primary spinal sarcomas between 2005 and 2022. The study focused on gathering data on patient demographics, surgical details, postoperative complications, overall hospital stay, and mortality within 90 days post-surgery.ResultsThe study included 14 patients with a primary diagnosis of spinal sarcoma, with an average age of 48.6 ± 12.6 years. Chondrosarcoma emerged as the most common tumor type, representing 57.1% of cases, followed by Ewing sarcoma at 35.7%, and synovial sarcoma at 7.1%. Patients with chondrosarcoma were treated with en-bloc resection, while the patient with synovial sarcoma underwent intra-lesional excision and those with Ewing sarcoma received decompression and tumor debulking. Postoperative assessments revealed significant improvements in neurological conditions. Notably, functional status as measured by the Karnofski Performance Index (KPI), improved substantially post-surgery (from 61.4 to 80.0%) The mean follow-up was 34.9 ± 9.2 months. During this time period one patient experienced fatal bleeding after en-bloc resection complications involving the vena cava. None of the patient needed further surgery.ConclusionsOur 16-year study offers vital insights into managing primary spinal sarcomas, showcasing the effectiveness of surgical intervention, particularly en-bloc resection. Despite their rarity and complexity, our multidisciplinary treatment approach yields improved outcomes and highlights the potential for refined surgical strategies to become standardized care in this challenging domain.

Philosophies And Surgical Techniques for Ewing's Sarcoma of Spine with Review of Literature.

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a malignant and aggressive bony tumor affecting the most common age group of 5-20 years. It constitutes 10%-15% of all bone sarcomas and is the second most common primary malignant bone tumor after osteosarcoma. It usually presents with pain, which is typically constant and progressive in nature. The primary source of pain is due to the instability of the spine to support the weight of the body, the vertebral body's expanding cortices due to the growing mass, compression of nerve roots due to tumour mass, pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression, and invasion of tissue by the tumour mass. We reviewed the literature on Ewing's Sarcoma of the spine to evaluate its etiology, clinical presentations, differential diagnosis, imaging modalities and management with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical management. PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar and Cochrane key articles were searched. Keywords like 'Ewing's Sarcoma,' 'Spine,' 'etiology,' 'treatment,' 'surgical management,' and 'en bloc resection' were used. The current management of Ewing's sarcoma of the spine usually involves three primary modalities: combination chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiotherapy. Recent improvements in combination chemotherapy (vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide +/- Ifosfamide and etoposide) are among the most significant factors for improving survival. Also, recent advancements in radiotherapy, instrumentation, and fusion techniques in surgical management have been demonstrated to improve local disease control and overall survival. Primary Ewing sarcoma of the spine is a rare condition affecting the most common age group of 5-20 years, accounting for 1-3 cases/million/year. About 5 % of cases have spine involvement. Recent improvements in combination chemotherapy have improved the overall survival rates. Enbloc resection and/or radiotherapy have improved local control of the disease.

Outcome and response prediction for primary and oligometastatic spinal sarcoma patients who received stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)

Outcome and response prediction for primary and oligometastatic spinal sarcoma patients who received stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)

Treatment outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy for primary and metastatic sarcoma of the spine

PurposeThis study evaluated the treatment outcomes of spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in sarcoma patients.Materials and methodsA total of 44 sarcoma patients and 75 spinal lesions (6 primary tumors, 69 metastatic tumors) treated with SBRT were retrospectively reviewed between 2006 and 2017. The median radiation dose was 33 Gy (range, 18–45 Gy) in 3 fractions (range, 1–5) prescribed to the 75% isodose line.ResultsThe median follow-up duration was 18.2 months. The 1-year local control was 76.4%, and patients treated with single vertebral body were identified as a favorable prognostic factor on multivariate analyses. Progression-free survival at 1 year was 31.9%, with the interval between initial diagnosis and SBRT and extent of disease at the time of treatment being significant prognostic factors. The 1-year overall survival was 80.5%, and PTV and visceral metastases were independently associated with inferior overall survival.ConclusionSBRT for spinal sarcoma is effective in achieving local control, particularly when treating a single vertebral level with a limited extent of disease involvement, resulting in an excellent control rate. The extent of disease at the time of SBRT is significantly correlated with survival outcomes and should be considered when treating spine sarcoma.

Spinal tumours: recommendations of the Polish Society of Spine Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncology, the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons, the Polish Society of Oncologic Surgery, the Polish Society of Oncologic Radiotherapy, and the Polish Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

PurposeThe purpose of these recommendations is to spread the available evidence for evaluating and managing spinal tumours among clinicians who encounter such entities.MethodsThe recommendations were developed by members of the Development Recommendations Group representing seven stakeholder scientific societies and organizations of specialists involved in various forms of care for patients with spinal tumours in Poland. The recommendations are based on data yielded from systematic reviews of the literature identified through electronic database searches. The strength of the recommendations was graded according to the North American Spine Society’s grades of recommendation for summaries or reviews of studies.ResultsThe recommendation group developed 89 level A-C recommendations and a supplementary list of institutions able to manage primary malignant spinal tumours, namely, spinal sarcomas, at the expert level. This list, further called an appendix, helps clinicians who encounter spinal tumours refer patients with suspected spinal sarcoma or chordoma for pathological diagnosis, surgery and radiosurgery. The list constitutes a basis of the network of expertise for the management of primary malignant spinal tumours and should be understood as a communication network of specialists involved in the care of primary spinal malignancies.ConclusionThe developed recommendations together with the national network of expertise should optimize the management of patients with spinal tumours, especially rare malignancies, and optimize their referral and allocation within the Polish national health service system.

A component method to delineate surgical spine implants for proton Monte Carlo dose calculation.

Metallic implants have been correlated to local control failure for spinal sarcoma and chordoma patients due to the uncertainty of implant delineation from computed tomography (CT). Such uncertainty can compromise the proton Monte Carlo dose calculation (MCDC) accuracy. A component method is proposed to determine the dimension and volume of the implants from CT images. The proposed component method leverages the knowledge of surgical implants from medical supply vendors to predefine accurate contours for each implant component, including tulips, screw bodies, lockers, and rods. A retrospective patient study was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. The reference implant materials and samples were collected from patient medical records and vendors, Medtronic and NuVasive. Additional CT images with extensive features, such as extended Hounsfield units and various reconstruction diameters, were used to quantify the uncertainty of implant contours. For in vivo patient implant estimation, the reference and the component method differences were 0.35, 0.17, and 0.04cm3 for tulips, screw bodies, and rods, respectively. The discrepancies by a conventional threshold method were 5.46, 0.76, and 0.05cm3 , respectively. The mischaracterization of implant materials and dimensions can underdose the clinical target volume coverage by 20cm3 for a patient with eight lumbar implants. The tulip dominates the dosimetry uncertainty as it can be made from titanium or cobalt-chromium alloys by different vendors. A component method was developed and demonstrated using phantom and patient studies with implants. The proposed method provides more accurate implant characterization for proton MCDC and can potentially enhance the treatment quality for proton therapy. The current proof-of-concept study is limited to the implant characterization for lumbar spine. Future investigations could be extended to cervical spine and dental implants for head-and-neck patients where tight margins are required to spare organs at risk.

Clear cell sarcoma at D12-L1 paraspinal region: A reported case and review of the literature.

BackgroundClear cell sarcoma is a very rare malignant tumor originating from neural crest cells, the tumor most commonly affects the lower limbs but there have been few cases reported to affect the trunk and para spinal area. Patients with Para spinal sarcoma have a variety of clinical presentations and a variable prognosis depending on several prognostic factors including tumor size.Case presentationA 14-year-old male patient presented with paraplegia for one month duration and he was diagnosed later on to have a paraspinal clear cell sarcoma at D12-L1 level. A wide local excision was made and patient was referred for oncology treatment. However, the patient came back to the same hospital after two months due to the recurrence of the tumor at the same site.ConclusionClear cell sarcoma, although rare, can affect the spine and present with weakness, paraplegia and backache. It also affects people from all age groups and can have a high metastatic rate and a high recurrence rate.

Spinal Extraosseous Extradural Ewing’s Sarcoma: A Systematic Review

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to state and analyze all the case reports published on extraskeletal extradural Ewing’s Sarcoma to date.&#x0D; Material and Methods: We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using the following search term, including Boolean operators AND and OR. We only included published case reports and series about Ewing's Sarcoma that were Extra-skeletal and Extradural. We excluded the intradural EWS cases and those that did not have both components, i.e. extraskeletal and extradural. Conference articles, commentaries, and unpublished articles were also not included. A PRISMA flowchart was also formed.&#x0D; Results: After the first case of EES in 1969, around 40 case reports and series have been reported, which sheds light on the rarity of this disease. Age of presentation varies from as early as two months, with the oldest report being 49 years of age, and most cases presenting in adolescents and young adults. Spinal Epidural extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma has been more frequently reported in males. The level of occurrence of the tumor also varies among cases, with cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions being more frequently affected than sacral regions.&#x0D; Conclusion: Extraskeletal extradural ES is an exceedingly rare anomaly. Multicentric collaborative work is the need of the hour for such orphan illnesses, to optimize treatment paradigms as a single-center is exceedingly unlikely to amass cases.

Mobile Spine Osseous Sarcoma: Descriptive Epidemiological Analysis Based on a National Population-Based Study

Primary osseous sarcomas of the mobile spine are rare bony tumors. Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, chordoma and osteosarcoma constitute the majority of primary bone sarcomas of the spine; however, other rare sarcoma tumors may also affect the spine. In order to perform an epidemiological study of theses tumors, national registries may help to evaluate data for populations with similar characteristics. A population-based study was designed based on data from the Iran National Cancer Registry (INCR). All morphology codes (M-Code) of primary osseous sarcomas of the mobile spine (C-code 41.2) were derived and analyzed. Among 186 patients with primary osseous sarcomas of the mobile spine, 67.2% were men and 32.8% were women. The median (IQR) age was 37.0 (20.0-59.0) years and the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) was 0.37 per million. The majority of cases of Ewing sarcoma (29.5%) were observed in the age group 20-25 years. Among male patients with chondrosarcoma, the median age was 39.0 (30.0-50.0), while females showed a median age of 56.0 (50.0-59.0). The median age of patients with chordoma was 54.0 (47.0-63.0) years. The crude incidence rate of mobile spine osteosarcoma was 0.04 per million. Ewing sarcoma was the most frequent primary osseous sarcoma of the mobile spine. A male predilection was observed among all major sarcomas of the mobile spine. Ewing sarcoma in Iran affects the mobile spine in slightly older ages compared to other studies. Myxoid chondrosarcoma is the most frequent subtype of the mobile spine chondrosarcoma. Chordoma affects male in older ages compared to females. In contrast with other studies which showed a bimodal distribution of osteosarcoma of the spine including young adult and older age groups, 86% of cases in Iran were in the age group of 10-40 years.

Primary mobile vertebral column sarcomas: Prognostic factors vary by histologic subtypes.

Primary sarcomas originating from the mobile spine portends a particularly sinister outcome. Rarity of the disease process has resulted in inconsistent data due to small sample size and heterogeneity in patient selection and analytics. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) database from 1975 to 2017 was queried to report incidence and survival data in 712 patients in the United States. Kaplan-Meier and Cox Regression were used to determine the prognostic factors affecting survival. Incidence of spinal sarcoma was 0.019 per 100,000 persons in 2017 and has not significantly changed since 2000 (p > 0.05). Disease-specific 5-year survival for the entire cohort was 57%. Osteosarcoma has the worst 5-year survival (39%) and chondrosarcoma has the best 5-year survival (69%). Independent predictors of survival for the entire cohort included age, grade, and stage. Stage was an independent predictor of survival for every histologic subtype. Additional predictors of survival for spinal osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma included age, size, and grade, respectively. The current study is an analysis of a population-based registry reporting incidence survival data for patients with sarcoma of mobile vertebral column. Survival and prognostic factors vary by histologic subtypes. There is lack of improvement in survival over the last three decades.

Systematic review of charged-particle therapy for chordomas and sarcomas of the mobile spine and sacrum.

Long-term local control in patients with primary chordoma and sarcoma of the spine and sacrum is increasingly reliant upon en bloc resection with negative margins. At many institutions, adjuvant radiation is recommended; definitive radiation is also recommended for the treatment of unresectable tumors. Because of the high off-target radiation toxicities associated with conventional radiotherapy, there has been growing interest in the use of proton and heavy-ion therapies. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding these therapies. The PubMed, OVID, Embase, and Web of Science databases were queried for articles describing the use of proton, combined proton/photon, or heavy-ion therapies for adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy in patients with primary sarcoma or chordoma of the mobile spine and sacrum. A qualitative synthesis of the results was performed, focusing on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS); local control; and postradiation toxicities. Of 595 unique articles, 64 underwent full-text screening and 38 were included in the final synthesis. All studies were level III or IV evidence with a high risk of bias; there was also significant overlap in the reported populations, with six centers accounting for roughly three-fourths of all reports. Five-year therapy outcomes were as follows: proton-only therapies, OS 67%-82%, PFS 31%-57%, and DFS 52%-62%; metastases occurred in 17%-18% and acute toxicities in 3%-100% of cases; combined proton/photon therapy, local control 62%-85%, OS 78%-87%, PFS 90%, and DFS 61%-72%; metastases occurred in 12%-14% and acute toxicities in 84%-100% of cases; and carbon ion therapy, local control 53%-100%, OS 52%-86%, PFS (only reported for 3 years) 48%-76%, and DFS 50%-53%; metastases occurred in 2%-39% and acute toxicities in 26%-48%. There were no studies directly comparing outcomes between photon and charged-particle therapies or comparing outcomes between radiation and surgical groups. The current evidence for charged-particle therapies in the management of sarcomas of the spine and sacrum is limited. Preliminary evidence suggests that with these therapies local control and OS at 5 years are comparable among various charged-particle options and may be similar between those treated with definitive charged-particle therapy and historical surgical cohorts. Further research directly comparing charged-particle and photon-based therapies is necessary.

Primary sarcomas of the spine: population-based demographic and survival data in 107 spinal sarcomas over a 23-year period in Ontario, Canada

Background contextSpinal sarcomas are a rare, heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors. Current literature reporting demographic variables and survival information is limited to small case series, and a single registry with variable treatment modalities and time periods. PurposeWe report on population-level data regarding all spinal sarcomas diagnosed over a 23-year period in Ontario, Canada, for the purposes of calculating incidence and prevalence of these tumors. Secondarily, survival is assessed by tumor type as well as adjuvant therapies during this time period. Study designRetrospective Cohort Study Patient samplePopulation-based data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) between 1993 and 2015. Outcome measuresOutcome measures include incidence and prevalence of spinal osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma of the spine, as well as 2-, 5-, 10- and 15-year survival and prevalence of adjuvant therapies. MethodsUtilizing population-based data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) between 1993 and 2015, ICD codes were searched and available data extracted for the purposes of reporting basic demographic information and calculation of Kaplan Meyer survival curves. Databases include the Ontario Cancer Registry, Discharge Abstract Database, Ontario Health Insurance Plan, National Ambulatory Care Reporting System, Registered Persons DataBase (death) were analyzed. ResultsOne hundred and seven spinal sarcomas were identified, with a mean incidence was 0.38 sarcomas per million population per year, that was stable over time. The mean prevalence was 8.1 sarcomas per million population. The most common diagnosis was Ewing's sarcoma (48 [44.9%] patients), followed by chondrosarcoma (33 [30.8%] patients), and osteosarcoma (26 [24.3%] patients). Chondrosarcoma had the highest survival rates with 77.2% and 64.2% 5- and 10-year survival rates, respectively, followed by Ewing's sarcoma with 48.1% and 44.9% 5 and 10-year survival and osteosarcoma with 36.0% and 30.9% 5- and 10-year survival. ConclusionsSpinal sarcoma is a rare disease with variable survival depending on the histologic diagnosis. This population-level study involves a heterogeneous group of patients with variable stages of disease at presentation and variable treatments. Our data fit with the published literature for survival for those treated conservatively and surgically. Our data show considerable improvement in 5- and 10-year mortality when compared with previous population level studies on earlier patient cohorts, likely reflecting improvements in systemic and surgical treatments.

Chemoradiotherapy of spinal extradural Ewing sarcoma after the Fontan procedure.

Chemoradiotherapy of spinal extradural Ewing sarcoma after the Fontan procedure.

Spinal sarcomas and immunity: An undervalued relationship.

Sarcomas, especially spine sarcomas, are rare yet debilitating and are underestimated types of cancer. Treatment options for spine sarcomas are limited to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical intervention. Accumulating evidence suggests a complex course associated with the treatment of spine sarcomas as compared to other soft tissue sarcomas in the extremities since adjuvant therapy adds limited success to the oncological outcome. Likewise, the limitations of surgical interventions imposed by the proximity and high sensitivity of the spinal cord, leads to an increased recurrence and mortality rates associated with spine sarcomas. Finding novel treatment options to spine sarcomas as such is inevitable, necessitating a more thorough understanding of the different mechanisms of the underlying etiologies of these tumors. In this review, we discuss the most recent studies tackling the involvement of the immune system; a key player in the emergence of the different types of spine sarcomas and the promising immune-mediated targeted therapy that can be applied in these kind of rare cancers.

CORR® Tumor Board: Can Navigation Improve the Ability to Achieve Tumor-free Margins in Pelvic and Sacral Primary Bone Sarcoma Resections? A Historically Controlled Study

CORR® Tumor Board: Can Navigation Improve the Ability to Achieve Tumor-free Margins in Pelvic and Sacral Primary Bone Sarcoma Resections? A Historically Controlled Study

Fusion surgery with instrumentation following carbon ion radiotherapy for primary lumbar tumors: A case series

Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is a useful modality for treatment of primary spinal sarcoma, but osteonecrosis after CIRT may cause pseudoarthrosis that can make subsequent reconstruction surgery difficult. The patients were a 68-year-old man (case 1), a 30-year-old woman (case 2), and a 49-year-old man (case 3) with lumbar lesions. After CIRT, cases 1 and 3 were treated with instrumented spondylectomy and case 2 underwent posterior decompression and instrumentation surgery. Cases 1 and 2 required several salvage procedures because of failure of instrumentation (rod breakage) before bone union was achieved. After multiple revision surgeries, these cases did achieve bone union without tumor recurrence. In contrast, in case 3, only spondylectomy using a pedicle screw system at 20 months after CIRT was required for fusion. At follow-up 11 years postoperatively, CT showed bone union with invasion of autograft bone from the iliac crest into adjacent vertebra. Collapse or a finding of viable tumor cells after CIRT requires surgery such as spondylectomy with reconstruction. Instrumented fixation following CIRT for a lumbar primary tumor should be performed with multilevel anterior support using a sufficient amount of bone graft in posterior fusion levels.

Spinal Epidural Myeloid Sarcoma with Paraplegia in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Radiation and Chemotherapy: A Case Report

Myeloid sarcoma occurs in 1% - 9% of patients with myelogenous leukemia. Spinal epidural myeloid sarcoma is particularly rare, and its treatment has not been established. A 27-year-old woman complained of pain on her left chest, back around the scapula, and neck. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a thoracic epidural tumor. One week after her visit, she developed motor weakness of her lower extremities and dysuria, and she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) on peripheral blood analysis. The epidural tumor was strongly suspected to be myeloid sarcoma. The paralysis of the lower extremities and bladder dysfunction were not progressive, and chemotherapy and local radiation therapy to the spine were performed. Improvement of paralysis and complete reduction of tumor volume were achieved by the combination of local low-dose radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Prospective Phase II Study of Scanned Beam Proton Therapy for Spine Sarcomas

Prospective Phase II Study of Scanned Beam Proton Therapy for Spine Sarcomas

Compressive myelopathy caused by granulocytic sarcomas of spine: report of two cases and review of literature

Objective To strengthen the understanding of granulocytic sarcomas (GS) by investigating the clinical characteristics of GS of spine. Methods The clinical data of 2 GS patients were retrospectively analyzed, and the related literature was reviewed. Results Because of the double lower limbs numbness, the 2 GS patients came to orthopedics department of the 306th Hospital of PLA. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the 2 patients showed an epidural mass located at the 9th-11th and 2nd-4th thoracic levels. Their histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry revealed GS. For example 1, she was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and has been morphologic complete commission (CR) from 1995 to 2015. Chemotherapy and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) were performed after extramedullary relapse in thoracic spine, breast, ovary, sternum bone and lymph nodes. So far, the patient is still in follow-up. For example 2, he was diagnosed as isolated GS by morphology, immune phenotype, chromosome and gene examinations. Because he refused chemotherapy, radiotherapy was performed after surgical intervention. So far, he is loss of follow-up. Conclusions Spinal epidural of GS is rare. Surgery can reduce or remove nerve compression symptoms, and help clear diagnosis. The current recommended treatment regimen in patients presenting with isolated GS or GS presenting concomitantly with AML is conventional AML-type chemotherapeutic protocols. The differences in prognosis of GS patients may be partially attributed to different characteristics of patient. Key words: Sarcoma, myeloid; Leukemia, promyelocytic, acute; Spinal cord compression; Spinal canal; Thoracic vertebrae