A Multidisciplinary Update on Treatment Modalities for Metastatic Spinal Tumors with a Surgical Emphasis: A Literature Review and Evaluation of the Role of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Simple Summary As the treatment modalities for spinal metastatic tumors continue to evolve, the goal of improving the quality of life of patients with spinal metastases becomes more easily attainable. The best patient care is a combination of multiple treatment modalities, surgical and nonsurgical, that maximizes the advantages of each modality and should be individualized according to their unique clinical presentation, pathology, and life expectancy. In this review article, we highlight various new treatment options that have shown promising improvements in patient outcomes. Notably, we discuss the potential clinical applications of AI and NGS in the treatment of spinal metastases.Abstract Spinal metastases occur in up to 40 of patients with cancer. Of these cases, 10 become symptomatic. The reported incidence of spinal metastases has increased in recent years due to innovations in imaging modalities and oncological treatments. As the incidence of spinal metastases rises, so does the demand for improved treatments and treatment algorithms, which now emphasize greater multidisciplinary collaboration and are increasingly customized per patient. Uniquely, we discuss the potential clinical applications of AI and NGS in the treatment of spinal metastases. Material and Methods: A PubMed search for articles published from 2000 to 2023 regarding spinal metastases and artificial intelligence in healthcare was completed. After screening for relevance, the key findings from each study were summarized in this update. Results: This review summarizes the evidence from studies reporting on treatment modalities for spinal metastases, including minimally invasive surgery (MIS), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), CFR-PEEK instrumentation, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), next-generation sequencing (NGS), artificial intelligence, and predictive models.