178. Metastatic spine disease: should patients with short life expectancy be denied surgical care?

Despite our inability to accurately predict survival in cancer patients, a life expectancy of at least three months is historically considered necessary for patients to be considered for surgical treatment of spinal metastases. With a wealth of new surgical and radiation technologies available, why would someone with incapacitating mechanical pain and/or progressive neurological deficit be denied treatment because their life expectancy is believed to be less than 3 months?
Source: The Spine Journal - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Source Type: research