Surgical options of metastatic spine tumors

Spinal metastases are a common concomitant phenomenon of advanced tumor disease. Beside the lung and liver, the spine is the third most common localization of manifestation. Apart from chronic and increasing pain, spinal metastases lead to neurological deficits due to destruction of the vertebral body and subsequent epidural growth expansion. The aim of a surgical treatment is the reduction of pain and the maintenance of neurological function as well as spine stability. The indication for surgery should be determined individually in an interdisciplinary consultation. The purpose of this article was to provide a brief overview regarding diagnostics and therapy of metastatic spine tumors.