Intra-arterial Chemotherapy for Spinal Metastases (SIAC)
Spinal Diseases, Spinal Metastases, Spinal Tumors
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Spinal Diseases focused on measuring Spinal Metastases, Spinal Metastatic Disease, Cord Compression, Intra-arterial Chemotherapy, Spinal Tumors
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients with metastatic diseases to the spine causing cord compression grades 1, and 2 who are not candidates for the standard treatment of radiation therapy or surgery.
- Patients older than 18 years old.
- Patients able to give informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- MRI findings of grade 3 epidural cord compression.
- Rapidly worsening neurological symptoms.
- The vascular supply to the spinal cord (anterior and/or posterior spinal arteries) originates from the same segmental arteries (intercostal or lumbar arteries) supplying the tumor.
- Life expectancy less than 3 months.
- Pregnant or lactating patients.
- Female patients with inadequate contraception.
- History of severe allergy to contrast media.
- Renal insufficiency (Creatinine >1.5mg/dL)
- WBC < 3000 cells/ mm3
- Platelets < 75000 cells/ mm3
Sites / Locations
- Weill Cornell Medical College Department of Neurological Surgery
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Selective intra-arterial chemotherapy
Subjects recruited to this study will receive intra-arterial injections of chemotherapy (melphalan) in the branches of the arteries feeding the metastatic spinal tumor. Subjects will receive general anesthesia or conscious sedation. A catheter will be guided using X-ray from the femoral artery at the top of the leg to the arteries of the spine. A dye will be injected through the catheter to show the arteries in greater detail. The chemotherapy is then injected into the tumor. We will inject the maximum systemic dose adjusted to white blood count and platelet count. Subjects will undergo three cycles of chemotherapy three to six weeks apart.