title: Predicting the survival probability of gastric cancer patients developing metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC).
abstract: To create a tool for estimating the survival of gastric cancer patients developing MESCC, clinical factors were evaluated in 29 patients. Factors were age, gender, performance status, affected vertebrae, ambulatory status, further bone metastases, visceral metastases, time from gastric cancer diagnosis until MESCC and rapidity of developing weakness of legs. On multivariate analyses, visceral metastases (risk ratio: 6.80; p = 0.003) and rapidity of weakening of legs (risk ratio: 2.73; p = 0.023) had a significant effect on survival and were included in the tool. Scoring points for each of the two factors were either 0 or 1, depending on the 6-month survival rates. According to the sum of the points, three groups were built: 0 points (n = 12), 1 point (n = 10) and 2 points (n = 7). Six-month survival rates were 0, 20 and 100 % (p < 0.001). This tool for patients with MESCC from gastric cancer estimates survival probabilities, which is important for tailoring treatment to patients' needs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany. rades.dirk@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rades
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huttenlocher
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bartscht
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schild
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary*; D000368:Aged; D015174:Epidural Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Gastric cancer; Irradiation; Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression; Predictive tool; Survival