With the documentation of a bony metastases is the tumor thought to be in a generalization stage. No matter what therapy is undertaken at this stage it is only palliative. The main objective of percutaneous vertebroplasty, also a palliative treatment, is reduction in pain symptoms, restore functionality (stabilization of fracture) likewise maintenance of function (prevention of fracture) and improvement in quality of life. With radiation therapy the achievement of reduction in pain is only gradual over a period of time, the aimed consolidation of bone is only partial and takes weeks to months.
The decision of performance of percutaneous bone augmentation (vertebroplasty) should be multidisciplinary with involvement of radiologists, surgeons or orthopaedic surgeons, radiotherapists and medical oncologists. The therapy depends on the primary illness, the local and general extension of the illness, infiltration of nearby structures, neurological symptoms, pain symptoms and life expectancy. In some cases a combination of different therapeutic modalities is needed because vertebroplasty is not a tumor-specific therapy substitute but only a therapy supplement.

 

Document Date: 2006/05/08   Author: Ahmed Koujan

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