title: Diagnosis and management of metastatic cervical spine tumors.
abstract: The bony spine is overall the third most common site for distant cancer metastasis, with the cervical spine involved in approximately 8 to 20% of metastatic spine disease cases. Diagnosis and management of metastatic spine disease requires disease categorization into the compartment involved, pathology of the lesion, and anatomic region involved. The diagnostic approach should commence with careful physical examination, and the workup should include plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and bone scintigraphy. Management ranges from palliative nonoperative to aggressive surgical treatment. Optimal management requires proper patient selection to individualize the most appropriate treatment modality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
authors.forename: Camilo A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Ziya L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Gokaslan
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sciubba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome