Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the treatment effects and side effects of malignant vertebrate metastasis who had received radiotherapy or percutaneous verterbreplasty (PVP) or PVP combined with radiotherapy.
Methods: Two hundred and sixty-three patients who had been diagnosed as malignant tumor with vertebrate metastasis received PVP (87 patients) or radiotherapy (111 patients) or PVP combined with radiotherapy (65 patients). Radiotherapy was done one week after PVP procedure in PVP combined with radiotherapy group. All patients received regular follow-up. The changes of pain scale were analyzed by NRS. The improvement of quality of life was evaluated by inquiry questionnaire of EORTC QLQ-C30. The side effects were also observed.
Results: All defects in vertebrate metastasis in PVP treating were fully filled by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) under CT examination. The NRS number decreased significantly after 6 hours after treating in PVP Group and PVP combined with radiotherapy Group (P < 0.01), which shows basement of pain was rapid. The NRS number decreased significantly after one month after treating in radiotherapy Group (P < 0.01), which shows basement of pain was slow. The score of EORTC QLQ-C30 inquiry questionnaire in three Groups reduced, which indicated that the quality of life had been improved. In PVP Group and PVP combined with radiotherapy Group, the score of EORTC QLQ-C30 changed most significantly (P < 0.01). There were no severe clinical complications.
Conclusions: It is safe and effective to treat malignant tumor patients with vertebrate metastasis by PVP combined with radiotherapy and quality of life had been improved significantly with long catabasis.