Radiotherapy for Primary and Metastatic Spinal Tumors

Primary and metastatic spinal tumors as a group represent a heterogeneous mixture of benign and malignant processes. In general, primary tumors of the spine remain relatively uncommon, and the majority of spinal tumors that are treated annually represent systemic spread of extraosseous primary malignancy. The management of spinal tumors requires meticulous yet expedient attention as the consequences of failed or inappropriate treatment can be devastating. Radiotherapy has proven beneficial in many tumors of the spine, particularly metastatic lesions, Ewing's sarcoma, and myeloid malignancies. A review of the use of radiotherapy for the more common primary spinal malignancies and metastasis is presented.