Spinal surgery

Not every metastasis causes symptoms immediately. If symptoms do occur, they are often as follows:

• Back pain (often dependent on exertion or even at rest)
• pain at night
• restricted mobility
• in advanced cases, symptoms caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord (e.g. numbness or weakness)

No - on the contrary: the majority of spinal metastases are treated conservatively. The treatment concept today is multidisciplinary and is customised. The most important non-surgical therapies include radiotherapy and drug-based tumour therapy (e.g. chemotherapy and immunotherapy). In many cases, the symptoms can be well controlled without the need for surgery.

An important point is that spinal metastases today are often not a short-term, but a long-term disease. Thanks to modern therapies, many patients can live for years with a stable disease, maintaining a good quality of life and remaining mobile and active in everyday life.

Surgical intervention may be considered in certain situations in particular:

• Instability of the spine (risk of fractures or pre-existing vertebral fractures)
• Neurological deficits due to pressure on the spinal cord
• Severe pain that cannot be adequately treated

If surgery is necessary, the primary aim is to stabilise the spine, relieve the nerves and alleviate the pain. This usually involves inserting screws into the affected vertebrae and connecting them together using metal rods in order to support the spine and restore its balance. If nerves or the spinal cord are under pressure, this pressure is carefully removed during the operation. In some cases, a vertebral body replacement is also inserted to further improve stability. The aim of the procedure is usually not to cure the tumour, but to maintain or improve the quality of life and enable the best possible mobility in everyday life.