Effect of combined treatment including surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy on spinal metastases of Tomita type 7

•The efficacy of palliative spinal surgery on patients with Tomita type 7 spinal metastases was studied.•Palliative surgery significantly alleviates pain and improves neurologic function.•Quality of life can be improved by the multidisciplinary treatment. Objectives: Identify the efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment including palliative spinal surgery on patients with Tomita type 7 spinal metastases. Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis of surgery treated spinal metastatic patients from January 2013 to December 2016 in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were performed. Surgical procedures and intraoperative parameters and postoperative adjuvent treatments were studied. Patients’ demographic characteristics and medical conditions including paralysis statues, quality of life and pain levels and postoperative survival time were identified. Results: 50 patients were identified with mean age at the time of surgery of 57.68 years old (range 27–78 years). The mean Tokuhashi score was 8.48 and the spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) averaged at 10.52 points. 48 patients (96%) encountered epidural spinal cord compression. Kaplan-Meier method determined median postoperative survival time was 12.00 months (95% CI: 7.05–16.95 months). The mean score of visual analogue scale (VAS) decreased from 7.66 preoperatively to 1.96 postoperatively. The Frankel scale was improved by at least one grade in 47 patients. Patient’s quality of life showed significant improvements. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary treatment including palliative spinal surgery was associated with alleviating pain, improving neurologic function and quality of life in patients with Tomita type 7 spinal metastases.