Surgery For Bone Metastases Research Articles

A Minimally Invasive Surgery for Bone Metastases Using the Combination of Photodynamic Therapy and Hyperthermia Treatment

Cancer patients with bone metastases in their extremities may require surgical intervention to prevent deterioration in their quality of life due to a pathological fracture or severe bone pain. However, curative surgical interventions sometimes have severe complications due to the status of the original cancers. To avoid the decreased quality of life caused by bone metastasis, minimally invasive surgery that avoids additional surgical morbidity is required. We have established two therapeutic treatments for bone metastasis, a photodynamic acridine orange treatment (AOT) and an electronic magnetic hyperthermia treatment (EMHT). The present study investigated the clinical outcomes of combination therapy with EMHT and AOT for patients with bone metastases in their extremities. Methods: The study included 6 patients with 7 bone cancer metastasis locations. For bone metastases, all patients received intraregional tumor excision supported by AOT, in which photodynamic and radiodynamic therapy kills tumor cells during surgery with minimal damage to normal tissues. After the curettage, bone reconstruction was performed by using magnetic materials with calcium phosphate cement. EMHT was repeatedly performed after surgery. In EMHT, tumor cells are killed with an electric magnetic field generator, and bony union is promoted by electronic stimulation. Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 14 months. During the follow-up period, only one patient experienced a local recurrence, and this recurrence occurred 14 months after surgery. Bony union occurred in 4 of 5 cases (80%), and the pain score was significantly reduced after surgery. Conclusions: In the present study, AOT reduced the invasiveness of surgery. EMHT reduced the tumor growth without major complications and promoted bone formation after surgery. Our clinical results confirmed that EMHT and AOT combination therapy for bone metastasis can preserve limb function without local recurrence or bone absorption.

Palliative Surgery for Acetabular Metastasis with Pathological Central Dislocation of the Hip Joint after Radiation Therapy: A Case Report

Orthopedic surgery for bone metastases is mainly a palliative treatment. Pathological central dislocation of the hip joint secondary to osteonecrosis of acetabular metastasis after radiation therapy brings severe suffering to cancer patients. We performed minimally invasive palliative surgery for an elderly woman, and excellent pain relief was achieved. An 80-year-old female suffering from right hip pain was referred to our hospital. She had undergone surgery for lung cancer 5 years previously and her right acetabulum was subsequently affected by metastasis. With the aim of controlling the metastasis, radiation therapy was performed. Two years later, pathological central dislocation of the hip joint occurred with sudden onset of severe pain, and she was unable to maintain a sitting position and became bedridden. After she was referred to our hospital, we created an intentional pseudarthrosis in the femoral neck for palliation. After the surgery, excellent pain relief and remarkably improved mobility were achieved during her limited remaining lifetime. In this report, we introduce a novel method of producing a pseudarthrosis in the femoral neck for pathological dislocation. This procedure is a minimally invasive treatment and an alternative option for palliative surgery for pathological dislocation of the hip joint due to osteonecrosis after radiation therapy.

Surgical Management of Appendicular Skeletal Metastases in Thyroid Carcinoma

Background. Bone is a frequent site of metastasis from thyroid carcinoma, but prognostic factors for patients who have surgery for thyroid carcinoma bone metastases are poorly understood. Methods. A retrospective review at a single institution identified 41 patients that underwent surgery in the appendicular skeleton for thyroid carcinoma bone metastasis from 1988 to 2011. Results. Overall patient survival probability by Kaplan-Meier analysis after surgery for bone metastasis was 72% at 1 year, 29% at 5 years, and 20% at 8 years. Patients who had their tumor excised (P = 0.001) or presented with solitary bone involvement had a lower risk of death following surgery adjusting for age and gender. Disease progression at the surgery site occurred more frequently with a histological diagnosis of follicular carcinoma compared with other subtypes (P = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor subtype, chemotherapy, and preoperative radiation treatment had no effect on survival after surgery. Patients treated with radioactive iodine had better survival following thyroidectomy, but not following surgery for bone metastases. Conclusions. For patients undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer bone metastasis, resection of the bone metastasis, if possible, has a survival benefit.

Skeletal related events in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A retrospective review

e16118 Background: Approximately one third of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will develop bone metastases during the course of their disease. Previous studies suggest that the rate of skeletal related events (SREs) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma is high, and that bisphosphonate therapy can lower the rate of SREs. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and bone metastases seen at our academic cancer centre. Methods: After approval by the Research Ethics Board, a retrospective review of all patients seen at the London Regional Cancer Centre with a diagnosis of RCC between January 2006 and December 2008 was performed. Data points collected included the number of patients with bone metastases, number of SREs, length of hospital stay, and treatments related to SREs. A SRE was defined as one of the following: pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, radiotherapy or surgery to bone, or hypercalcemia in the presence of bone metastases. Results: 196 patients with metastatic RCC were identified. Of these, 63 (32%) had bone metastases. 75% of these patients with bone metastases received medical therapies including sunitinib, sorafenib or temsirolimus. 66% of patients received at least one dose of bisphosponate therapy. Common sites of metastases were vertebra (66%), pelvis (50%), and femur (42%). Of those with bone metastases, 61 (95%) experienced at least one SRE. 42% sustained a pathologic fracture; 28% suffered a spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome; 22% had surgery for bone metastases; 87.5% required radiotherapy and 27% had hypercalcemia. 40% of patients were hospitalized due to an SRE, and the mean length of hospital stay was 21 days (range 1–120 days). Conclusions: Despite significant recent improvements in the overall care of RCC, and expansion of the number of therapeutic options, bone metastases and consequent SREs continue to cause significant morbidity. These SREs come with frequent and prolonged hospitalizations. Our rate of SREs is actually higher than that documented in the placebo arm of a randomized trial of a bisphosphonate in RCC from the pre-tyrosine kinase era. Bone-related morbidity in mRCC remains a clinical problem with a significant unmet medical need. [Table: see text]

L’inchiodamento nelle fratture patologiche

Due to improved survival of cancer patients, the approach to metastatic disease is changing. Surgery for bone metastases is no longer just a short-term treatment, but must often aim to a durable result. This has led to a wider use of megaprostheses, but nail fixation remains the treatment of choice in many cases. A multidisciplinary approach is needed for decision and adjunctive procedures, such as curettage and cement filling, preop embolization or thermoablation, and postop radiotherapy, are often necessary.

Erroneous measurement of haemodynamic parameters by PiCCO™ monitor in a critically ill patient with renal replacement therapy: a case report

The PiCCO™ monitor (Pulsion Medical System, Melsungen, Hessen, Germany) has become an alternative method of haemodynamic invasive monitoring for the critically ill patient. The determination of the continuous cardiac output by arterial pulse contour analysis requires the periodic calibration of the monitor. This calibration is performed by the injection of a bolus of 15–20 ml cold saline through a central line catheter [1-3]. We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with breast cancer who underwent cord decompression surgery for bone metastasis. On the seventh postoperative day she developed multiorgan system failure (septic shock + respiratory insufficiency + acute renal failure + disseminated intravascular coagulopathy) due to nosocomial pneumonia. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and the PiCCO™ monitor was used for invasive haemodynamic monitoring. A Certofix™ Trio HF catheter (Braun, Munich, Bayern, Germany) was placed uneventfully in the right internal jugular vein to carry out continuous venous–venous haemodialysis (CVVH-D). The Certofix™ Trio HF is a triplelumen catheter made of polyurethane with three lumens (first channel, distal = 16 G; second channel, middle = 12 G; and third channel, proximal = 12 G). The distal lumen was used for the calibrations of the PiCCO™ monitor due to the highrisk of insertion of another central line in a patient with severe coagulopathy. The analysis of the area under the thermodilution curve showed a hypodynamic state that was treated

Mechanical failure of unsupported Huckstep intramedullary nail in malignant bone tumor reconstruction.

Seventeen segmental resections of diaphyseal tumors and five knee resection arthrodeses were reconstructed using the Huckstep nail with intercalary bone grafts (fibula), cementation, and ceramic and titanium spacers. Although the bone defects were 0 to 25.5 cm in length (mean, 13.1 cm), all patients had relief of pain and were able to move alone with a wheelchair or a cane. Nail breakage occurred in four patients who had reconstruction surgery using a ceramic spacer (four patients without intercalary fibula graft and one patient with intercalary fibula graft). The nail survival rate was significantly better in the patients with reinforcement by vascularized fibular graft (100% at 5 years and 75% at 10 years; n = 8) than in the patients without reinforcement by vascularized fibular graft (87.5% at 3 years and 0% at 5 years; n = 14). Huckstep nailing is a useful option for reconstruction of large bone defects in diaphyseal tumors and knee resection arthrodesis. It should be used in combination with a vascularized fibula graft to prevent mechanical failure and to achieve durability of limbs with defects from primary bone tumors. Huckstep nailing with nonbiologic augmentation is good for palliative surgery for bone metastases in patients with a shorter expected survival rate.

The treatment of metastases in the appendicular skeleton.

Bone metastases from carcinomata are a medical and social issue. About one-half of all primary cancers tend to disseminate to the skeleton, which is the third most frequent site of metastatic spread after the lung and the liver. Epidemiological investigation has shown that of 1.2 million new cases of cancer each year in the USA, about 300 000 will eventually develop a bone metastasis. Tumours which have a predilection for dissemination to bone are those of the prostate (32%), breast (22%) and kidney (16%) followed by the lung and the thyroid. The sites most usually involved are, in order of frequency, the spine, pelvis, ribs, skull and proximal long bones. The treatment of bone metastases is usually palliative and aims to achieve adequate control of pain, to prevent and resolve compression of the cord in lesions of the spine and to anticipate or stabilise pathological fractures in the appendicular skeleton. In selected cases the complete resection of an isolated bone metastasis may improve the survival of the patient. The prognosis of patients with bone metastases is extremely variable depending on the site of the primary growth. During recent decades, the life expectancy of patients affected with metastatic carcinoma has improved considerably because of advances in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal treatment and radiotherapy. However, this improvement results in an increase in the population at risk of developing bone metastases or experiencing a pathological fracture. The reconstructive procedure requires greater reliability in order to avoid mechanical failure during prolonged survival of the patient. At present, the treatment of bone metastases may not follow any codified protocol. The patient may be treated by different specialists such as an orthopaedic surgeon, an oncologist or a radiotherapist without any rational guideline as to the indications for surgical treatment. We have recently introduced a new protocol for the treatment of bone metastases of the appendicular skeleton which describes guidelines for indications for surgery, the type of operation to be undertaken and the methods of reconstruction available. The aim is to offer adequate individual treatment to the patient, avoiding undertreatment or overtreatment, to achieve control of pain and to manage impending and pathological fractures so that the longer survival is associated with a better quality of life.

Preoperative embolization of bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to correlate the effectiveness of preoperative embolization with the blood loss and transfusion requirement during surgery for bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma. Twenty-eight preoperative embolizations in 26 patients with renal cell carcinoma metastatic to bone were retrospectively evaluated and divided into two groups: Group A included the embolizations that resulted in complete devascularization of the lesion as defined by the post-embolization arteriograms, and group B included those with an incomplete result. The two groups were compared with regard to blood loss and transfusion requirement during surgery, by unpaired two-tailed Student's t-test. Where complete embolization was effected (group A, 10 cases), there was a mean blood loss of 535 +/- 390 ml. When a less than complete embolization was achieved (group B, 18 cases), the mean blood loss was 1.247 +/- 1.047 ml (p = 0.049). The red blood cell transfusion in group A was 1.3 +/- 1 units, whereas in group B it was 2.4 +/- 1.2 (p = 0.03). Preoperative embolization of bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma with subsequent complete devascularization leads to significant reduction of blood loss during surgery. Interventional radiologists should pursue and embolize every feeder to the metastasis, because any less than complete devascularization increases the amount of blood loss and the amount of red blood cell transfusion during surgery.