Active clinical trials for "Spinal Cord Compression"

Spinal cord compression (SCC) is a devastating complication of advanced malignancy, and can cause significant deterioration in function and quality of life (QoL). The goal of treatment is to improve functional status and symptoms, but the optimal treatment regimen for these patients has not been thoroughly established. Many patients with SCC present with uncontrolled systemic disease and poor performance status, and are not eligible for standard surgical resection. They are generally treated with 3D conformal palliative RT (3DCRT) alone, however recent trials suggest that less than 70% of patients are ambulatory, that the re-establishment of ambulation in non-ambulatory patients is poor, and the duration of improvement is guarded with radiotherapy alone. Recently, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) used alone or after previous radiotherapy to treat spinal metastasis has demonstrated superior results in pain control, tumour response and durability. SBRT requires time for careful planning, and many patients with neurologic symptoms must be treated immediately to prevent progression. Therefore the role of SBRT is still unclear in this patient population, although it seems to be a potential alternative to surgical decompression in patient not suitable for surgery. The investigators propose a feasibility study to investigate the potential benefits of dose escalation with a sequential SBRT boost to urgent 3D CRT in the setting of SCC. This regimen will allow inoperable patients to receive urgent 3DCRT while simultaneously creating the opportunity for superior outcomes with SBRT. The investigators also aim to characterize the effect on motor function and ambulation, pain and QoL. This study could stimulate further multi-center randomized trials in this area, improve motor function and patient-reported QoL, and contribute to improving oncology care in Canada in a meaningful way.

Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) is a frequent oncologic emergency that requires to be treated promptly. Although direct decompressive surgery is the most effective treatment, surgery is only used in selected patients because most patients have a poor overall condition and short life expectancy. Radiation therapy (RT), therefore, is the most commonly used for patients with MESCC, but conventional RT alone can achieve modest neurologic outcomes. The hypothesis to use stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for MESCC is that the rapid decompression of epidural mass, durable local control and subsequently improved neurologic outcomes compared to conventional RT are expected when MESCC is treated with SBRT.

Introduction: This observational study is designed to test the equivalence between the clinical effectiveness of microdecompression and laminectomy in the surgical treatment of central lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most frequent indication for spinal surgery in the elderly, and as the oldest segment of the population continues to grow its prevalence is likely to increase. However, data on surgical outcomes are limited. Open or wide decompressive laminectomy, often combined with medial facetectomy and foraminotomy, was formerly the standard treatment. In recent years a growing tendency towards less invasive decompressive procedures has emerged. Many spine surgeons today perform microdecompression for central lumbar spinal stenosis. Prospectively registered treatment and outcome data are obtained from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery (NORspine).

The aim of this trial is to evaluate the differences in pain relief, neurological function, quality of life and survival in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) who are managed with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy versus radiotherapy alone. Further we shall evaluate cost-effectiveness of the two treatment approaches.

Acute neurological deficit in metastatic spinal cord compression is an emergency condition in radiation oncology. Despite some reports about the high efficacy of radiation treatment for oncological emergencies, a standard of care is not well defined, especially the time interval of immediate RT after deficit, and neurological outcome with respect to poor survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The objective of this trial is to investigate neurological outcome after emergency radiotherapy in metastatic spinal cord compression of non-small cell lung cancer patients with acute neurological deficit.

There is a relationship between CSM and hypertension, probably a cause/effect relationship, and investigators term this type of hypertension "cervicogenic hypertension". Abnormally functioning serotonergic pacemaker cells in the dorsal raphe nucleus inappropriately activate and inhibit parts of the central and autonomic nervous systems as part of a chronic stress response, which causes hypertension and migraine. This theory is now being expanded to encompass both CSM and essential hypertension, the idea being that these two conditions are intimately related.

Multicenter study allowing to include the first sixty patients implanted with a custom-made corpectomy implant (UNiD 3D VBR): 30 patient implanted in cervical region and 30 patients implanted in thoracolumbar region. The main objective is to confirm feasibilty and safety of patient-specific implants for one or multi-level corpectomy and fusion. This study was approved in March 2016 allowing to include retrospectivley all patients since the first implantation in January 2015 and prospectively all patients after the approval.

One of the complications of having cancer in the spinal vertebrae is that it can spread and lead to compression of the spinal cord. Spinal cord compression is a serious event that needs to be treated quickly in order to prevent permanent damage to the spinal cord and nerves. Researchers currently do not have the ability to accurately predict whether cancer of the vertebrae will cause spinal cord compression. It is possible that accurate predictions could allow doctors to treat patients even before they develop symptoms of spinal cord compression, thereby preventing some of the long-term consequences. Objectives: To compare patients with cancer of the spinal vertebrae with and without symptoms of spinal cord compression by looking at markers in the blood and changes on novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that might allow researchers to predict who will experience spinal cord compression before they actually begin to have symptoms. Eligibility: One group of healthy volunteers 18 years of age and older. One group of patients 18 years of age and older who have cancer that has spread to the vertebrae without symptoms of spinal cord compression. One group of patients 18 years of age and older who have cancer that has spread to the vertebrae with symptoms of spinal cord compression. Design: Healthy volunteers: Blood will be drawn from each volunteer for initial tests and for more specific biomarker tests. Comprehensive MRI of the spine, followed by a special type of MRI called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). It is believed that DTI may be even more sensitive in revealing spinal cord abnormalities than regular MRI sequences. Patients with cancer of the vertebrae: Researchers will obtain information such as pathology reports, laboratory results, diagnosis and treatment history, physical exam (PE) information, results of scans such as x-rays, MRI, computerized tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET), and planned treatment details. Additional blood samples will be taken for specific biomarker tests. Questionnaire about pain, unusual sensations or numbness, bladder or bowel problems, and mobility. Comprehensive MRI of the spine, followed by a DTI. Patients who appear to have symptoms of spinal cord compression will be offered standard radiation treatment.

White matter fiber tracking may provide a novel tool to assess the integrity of injured motor tracts in the cervical spine. It provides information about fiber directions which is not given by conventional MRI. White matter fiber tracking in the brain is used at several institutions, including our own medical college, for presurgical planning of tumor excision. We believe that the technical and clinical experience gained for the brain can be applied to fiber tracking in the cervical spine as well.

Patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) are treated with different options according to the life expectancy. Survival and surgical outcome can be influenced by surgical timing in MSCC patients treated with palliative decompression.