title: A matched-pair analysis comparing 5x4 Gy and 10x3 Gy for metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) in patients with favorable survival prognoses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is currently not possible to get an approval of our ethics committee for a randomized trial cmparing 5x4 Gy and 10x3 Gy for MSCC that includes patients with favorable survival prognoses. Therefore, this matched-pair study following strict matching criteria was perfomed instead.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 142 receiving 5x4 Gy were retrospectively matched (1:1) to 142 patients receiving 10x3 Gy with respect to ten characteristics. These characteristics included age, gender, performance status, tumor type, involved vertebrae, other bone metastases, visceral metastases, interval between tumor diagnosis and MSCC, pre-RT ambulatory status, and time developing motor deficits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On multivariate analysis, post-RT motor function was associated with performance status (p<0.001), tumor type (p < 0.001), and time developing motor deficits (p<0.001). RT was successful in 76% of patients receiving 5x4 Gy and 69% receiving 10x3 Gy (p=0.14). Pre.RT ambulatory status showed a strong trend with respect to local control (LC) of MSCC in the multivariate analysis (p=0.058). 1-year LC rates were 87% after 5x4 Gy and 93% after 10x3 Gy (p=0.16). On multivariate analysis, survival (OS) was associated with performance score (p<0.001), visceral metastases (p<0.001), and pre-RT ambulatory status (p=0.004). 1-year OS rates were 68% after 5x4 Gy and 73% after 10x3 Gy (p = 0.64).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients irradiated for MSCC who had favorable survival prognoses, post-RT motor function, LC and OS were not significantly different after 5x4 Gy and after 10x3 Gy.
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. stefan.huttenlocher@uksh.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huttenlocher
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Bernard Verbeeten Institute, Tilburg, The Netherlands. veninga.t@bvi.nl.
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veninga
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. bajrovic@uke.uni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bajrovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Bremer.Michael@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bremer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Saad Specialist Hospital, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. vrudat@saamedical.com.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rudat
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. sschild@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schild
mesh_terms: D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate