Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Clinical Studies

Efficacy and toxicity of primary re-irradiation for malignant spinal cord compression based on radiobiological modelling: a phase II clinical trial

Abstract

Background

The efficacy and safety of primary re-irradiation for MSCC are not known. Our aim was to establish the efficacy and safety of biologically effective dose-based re-irradiation.

Methods

Patients presenting with MSCC at a previously irradiated spine segment, and not proceeding with surgical decompression, were eligible. A 3 Gray per fraction experimental schedule (minimum 18 Gy/6 fractions, maximum 30 Gy/10 fractions) was used, delivering a maximum cumulative spinal dose of 100 Gy2 if the interval since the last radiotherapy was within 6 months, or 130 Gy2 if longer. The primary outcome was a change in mobility from week 1 to week 5 post-treatment, as assessed by the Tomita score. The RTOG SOMA score was used to screen for spinal toxicity, and an MRI performed to assess for radiation-induced myelopathy (RIM).

Results

Twenty-two patients were enroled, of whom eleven were evaluable for the primary outcome. Nine of eleven (81.8%) had stable or improved Tomita scores at 5 weeks. One of eight (12.5%) evaluable for late toxicity developed RIM.

Conclusions

Re-irradiation is an efficacious treatment for MSCC. There is a risk of RIM with a cumulative dose of 120 Gy2.

Clinical Trial Registration

Cancer Trials Ireland (ICORG 07-11); NCT00974168.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: CONSORT flow diagram.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Data supporting the results reported in this article can be requested from Cancer Trials Ireland

References

  1. Loblaw DA, Laperriere NJ. Emergency treatment of malignant extradural spinal cord compression: an evidence-based guideline. J Clin Oncol J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 1998;16:1613–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Prasad D, Schiff D. Malignant spinal-cord compression. Lancet Oncol. 2005;6:15–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Oster G, Lamerato L, Glass AG, Richert-Boe KE, Lopez A, Chung K, et al. Natural history of skeletal-related events in patients with breast, lung, or prostate cancer and metastases to bone: a 15-year study in two large US health systems. Support Care Cancer J Multinatl Assoc Support Care Cancer. 2013;21:3279–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Maranzano E, Trippa F, Casale M, Anselmo P, Rossi R. Reirradiation of metastatic spinal cord compression: definitive results of two randomized trials. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radio Oncol. 2011;98:234–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Maranzano E, Latini P. Effectiveness of radiation therapy without surgery in metastatic spinal cord compression: final results from a prospective trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1995;32:959–67.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Patchell RA, Tibbs PA, Regine WF, Payne R, Saris S, Kryscio RJ, et al. Direct decompressive surgical resection in the treatment of spinal cord compression caused by metastatic cancer: a randomised trial. Lancet. 2005;366:643–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Metastatic spinal cord compression in adults: risk assessment, diagnosis and management. 2008. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg75/resources/metastatic-spinal-cord-compression-in-adults-risk-assessment-diagnosis-and-management-pdf-975630102469.

  8. Hoskin PJ, Grover A, Bhana R. Metastatic spinal cord compression: radiotherapy outcome and dose fractionation. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radio Oncol. 2003;68:175–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Loblaw DA, Laperriere NJ, Mackillop WJ. A population-based study of malignant spinal cord compression in Ontario. Clin Oncol R Coll Radio G B. 2003;15:211–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sioutos PJ, Arbit E, Meshulam CF, Galicich JH. Spinal metastases from solid tumors. Analysis of factors affecting survival. Cancer. 1995;76:1453–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Thirion PG, Dunne MT, Kelly PJ, Flavin A, O’Sullivan JM, Hacking D, et al. Non-inferiority randomised phase 3 trial comparing two radiation schedules (single vs. five fractions) in malignant spinal cord compression. Br J Cancer. 2020;122:1315–23.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Kaminski HJ, Diwan VG, Ruff RL. Second occurrence of spinal epidural metastases. Neurology. 1991;41:744–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Loeffler JS, Glicksman AS, Tefft M, Gelch M. Treatment of spinal cord compression: a retrospective analysis. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1983;11:347–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Arnold M, Rutherford MJ, Bardot A, Ferlay J, Andersson TML, Myklebust TÅ, et al. Progress in cancer survival, mortality, and incidence in seven high-income countries 1995-2014 (ICBP SURVMARK-2): a population-based study. Lancet Oncol. 2019;20:1493–505.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Schultheiss TE, Stephens LC, Peters LJ. Survival in radiation myelopathy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1986;12:1765–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Reagan TJ. Chronic progressive radiation myelopathy: its clinical aspects and differential diagnosis. JAMA. 1968;203:106.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Wong CS, Van Dyk J, Milosevic M, Laperriere NJ. Radiation myelopathy following single courses of radiotherapy and retreatment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1994;30:575–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Grosu AL, Andratschke N, Nieder C, Molls M. Retreatment of the spinal cord with palliative radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002;52:1288–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rades D, Stalpers LJA, Veninga T, Hoskin PJ. Spinal reirradiation after short-course RT for metastatic spinal cord compression. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2005;63:872–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Marcus RB, Million RR. The incidence of myelitis after irradiation of the cervical spinal cord. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1990;19:3–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Phillips TL, Buschke F. Radiation tolerance of the thoracic spinal cord. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1969;105:659–64.

  22. Schultheiss TE, Kun LE, Ang KK, Stephens LC. Radiation response of the central nervous system. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1995;31:1093–112.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Fowler JF. The linear-quadratic formula and progress in fractionated radiotherapy. Br J Radiol. 1989;62:679–94.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ang KK, Jiang GL, Feng Y, Stephens LC, Tucker SL, Price RE. Extent and kinetics of recovery of occult spinal cord injury. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2001;50:1013–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Nieder C, Grosu AL, Andratschke NH, Molls M. Proposal of human spinal cord reirradiation dose based on collection of data from 40 patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2005;61:851–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Nieder C, Grosu AL, Andratschke NH, Molls M. Update of human spinal cord reirradiation tolerance based on additional data from 38 patients. Int J Radiat Oncol. 2006;66:1446–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Tomita T, Galicich JH, Sundaresan N. Radiation therapy for spinal epidural metastases with complete block. Acta Radio Oncol. 1983;22:135–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Thirion P, Dunne M, Parker I, Small C, Shannon AM, Clayton-Lea A, et al. CTRIAL-IE (ICORG) 07-11: Phase II trial evaluating radiobiological based reirradiation strategy for patients with malignant spinal cord compression. Int J Radiat Oncol. 2020;108:S33–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Groenvold M, Petersen MA, Aaronson NK, Arraras JI, Blazeby JM, Bottomley A, et al. The development of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL: a shortened questionnaire for cancer patients in palliative care. Eur J Cancer Oxf Engl 1990. 2006;42:55–64.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, Bullinger M, Cull A, Duez NJ, et al. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993;85:365–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Suppli MH, Munck Af Rosenschöld P, Pappot H, Engelholm SA. Diabetes increases the risk of serious adverse events after re-irradiation of the spine. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radio Oncol. 2019;136:130–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Rades D, Stalpers LJA, Veninga T, Schulte R, Hoskin PJ, Alberti W. [Effectiveness and toxicity of reirradiation (Re-RT) for metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC)]. Strahlenther Onkol Organ Dtsch Rontgengesellschaft Al. 2005;181:595–600.

  33. Rades D, Rudat V, Veninga T, Stalpers LJA, Hoskin PJ, Schild SE. Prognostic factors for functional outcome and survival after reirradiation for in-field recurrences of metastatic spinal cord compression. Cancer. 2008;113:1090–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Rades D, Evers JN, Bajrovic A, Veninga T, Schild SE. Re-irradiation of spinal cord compression due to metastasis in elderly patients. Anticancer Res. 2014;34:2555–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Maranzano E, Bellavita R, Rossi R, De Angelis V, Frattegiani A, Bagnoli R, et al. Short-course versus split-course radiotherapy in metastatic spinal cord compression: results of a phase III, randomized, multicenter trial. J Clin Oncol J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2005;23:3358–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Maranzano E, Trippa F, Casale M, Costantini S, Lupattelli M, Bellavita R, et al. 8Gy single-dose radiotherapy is effective in metastatic spinal cord compression: results of a phase III randomized multicentre Italian trial. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radio Oncol. 2009;93:174–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Bach F, Larsen BH, Rohde K, Børgesen SE, Gjerris F, Bøge-Rasmussen T, et al. Metastatic spinal cord compression. Occurrence, symptoms, clinical presentations and prognosis in 398 patients with spinal cord compression. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1990;107:37–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Martenson JA, Evans RG, Lie MR, Ilstrup DM, Dinapoli RP, Ebersold MJ, et al. Treatment outcome and complications in patients treated for malignant epidural spinal cord compression (SCC). J Neurooncol. 1985;3:77–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Greenberg HS, Kim JH, Posner JB. Epidural spinal cord compression from metastatic tumor: results with a new treatment protocol. Ann Neurol. 1980;8:361–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Wong CS, Fehlings MG, Sahgal A. Pathobiology of radiation myelopathy and strategies to mitigate injury. Spinal Cord. 2015;53:574–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Khan M, Ambady P, Kimbrough D, Shoemaker T, Terezakis S, Blakeley J, et al. Radiation-induced myelitis: initial and follow-up MRI and clinical features in patients at a single tertiary care institution during 20 years. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2018;39:1576–81.

  42. Kirkpatrick JP, van der Kogel AJ, Schultheiss TE. Radiation dose-volume effects in the spinal cord. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010;76:S42–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Mason KA, Withers HR, Chiang CS. Late effects of radiation on the lumbar spinal cord of guinea pigs: re-treatment tolerance. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1993;26:643–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Nieder C, Milas L, Ang KK. Tissue tolerance to reirradiation. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2000;10:200–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Abu-Hegazy M, Wahba HA. Single-versus multi-fraction radiation treatment for metastatic spinal cord compression: functional outcome study. Chin-Ger J Clin Oncol. 2011;10:535–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Rades D, Šegedin B, Conde-Moreno AJ, Garcia R, Perpar A, Metz M, et al. Radiotherapy with 4 Gy × 5 versus 3 Gy × 10 for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression: final results of the SCORE-2 trial (ARO 2009/01). J Clin Oncol J Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2016;34:597–602.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hoskin PJ, Hopkins K, Misra V, Holt T, McMenemin R, Dubois D, et al. Effect of single-fraction vs multifraction radiotherapy on ambulatory status among patients with spinal canal compression from metastatic cancer: the SCORAD Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2019;322:2084–94.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  48. Doi H, Tamari K, Oh RJ, Nieder C. New clinical data on human spinal cord re-irradiation tolerance. Strahlenther Onkol Organ Dtsch Rontgengesellschaft Al. 2021;197:463–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Jabbari S, Gerszten PC, Ruschin M, Larson DA, Lo SS, Sahgal A. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastases: practice guidelines, outcomes, and risks. Cancer J Sudbury Mass. 2016;22:280–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Oldenburger E, Brown S, Willmann J, van der Velden J, Spalek M, van der Linden YM, et al. ESTRO ACROP guidelines for external beam radiotherapy of patients with complicated bone metastases. Radiother Oncol. 2022;173:240–53.

  51. Liu L, Bassano DA, Prasad SC, Hahn SS, Chung CT. The linear-quadratic model and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003;57:827–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Sahgal A, Chang JH, Ma L, Marks LB, Milano MT, Medin P, et al. Spinal cord dose tolerance to stereotactic body radiation therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021;110:124–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Sahgal A, Ma L, Weinberg V, Gibbs IC, Chao S, Chang UK, et al. Reirradiation human spinal cord tolerance for stereotactic body radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012;82:107–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Wang JZ, Huang Z, Lo SS, Yuh WTC, Mayr NA. A generalized linear-quadratic model for radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and high-dose rate brachytherapy. Sci Transl Med. 2010;2:39ra48.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Sahgal A, Weinberg V, Ma L, Chang E, Chao S, Muacevic A, et al. Probabilities of radiation myelopathy specific to stereotactic body radiation therapy to guide safe practice. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2013;85:341–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Grimm J, Sahgal A, Soltys SG, Luxton G, Patel A, Herbert S, et al. Estimated risk level of unified stereotactic body radiation therapy dose tolerance limits for spinal cord. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2016;26:165–71.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  57. Katsoulakis E, Jackson A, Cox B, Lovelock M, Yamada Y. A detailed dosimetric analysis of spinal cord tolerance in high-dose spine radiosurgery. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2017;99:598–607.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Duley L, Gillman A, Duggan M, Belson S, Knox J, McDonald A, et al. What are the main inefficiencies in trial conduct: a survey of UKCRC registered clinical trials units in the UK. Trials. 2018;19:15.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  59. Carlisle B, Kimmelman J, Ramsay T, MacKinnon N. Unsuccessful trial accrual and human subjects protections: an empirical analysis of recently closed trials. Clin Trials Lond Engl. 2015;12:77–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Lasagna L. Problems in publication of clinical trial methodology. Clin Pharm Ther. 1979;25:751–3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Cofield SS, Conwit R, Barsan W, Quinn J. Recruitment and retention of patients into emergency medicine clinical trials. Acad Emerg Med J Soc Acad Emerg Med. 2010;17:1104–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Mancosu P, Navarria P, Bignardi M, Cozzi L, Fogliata A, Lattuada P, et al. Re-irradiation of metastatic spinal cord compression: a feasibility study by volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy for in-field recurrence creating a dosimetric hole on the central canal. Radiother Oncol J Eur Soc Ther Radio Oncol. 2010;94:67–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Rades D, Lange M, Veninga T, Stalpers LJA, Bajrovic A, Adamietz IA, et al. Final results of a prospective study comparing the local control of short-course and long-course radiotherapy for metastatic spinal cord compression. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011;79:524–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Cancer Trials Ireland (formerly ICORG), as the study sponsor, was involved in protocol development and approval, study conduct and monitoring/audit, data collection, management, analysis and interpretation, and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. The abstract of this study was presented at ASTRO in October 2020(28).

Funding

This study was funded by Health Research Board under Grant CCT/06/09 (covering Jan. 2006-June 2009), ICORGH/2009 (covering July 2009-June 2012), ICORG/2012 (covering July 2012-Dec 2015) and Grant 2016 HRB/CTI. The funding source had no involvement in study design or conduct; in the collection, management, analysis and interpretation of data; preparation, review or approval of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Conception and Design: M Moriarty, PGT, AC-L, OM, CS. Acquisition, collection and assembly of data: OM, CS, AC-L, MP, CDC, JC, DF, MRS, M McCague, M Moriarty, OS, CG, JGA, AMS, PGT. Data analysis and interpretation: AA-I, M McCague, MD, NDW, IP, PGT. Drafting of the work, revising it critically for important intellectual content and Manuscript writing: NDW, PGT, MTD. Final approval of manuscript: All authors. Integrity of the work as a whole, from inception to published article: PGT. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved: NDW, PGT, MTD.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary T. Dunne.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Subjects provided their consent to participate. The trial was approved by the St Luke’s Hospital Ethics and Medical Research Committee and at the Clinical REC Merlin Park Hospital Galway. The trial was carried out in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) for Good Clinical Practice (GCP).

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wallace, N.D., Dunne, M.T., McArdle, O. et al. Efficacy and toxicity of primary re-irradiation for malignant spinal cord compression based on radiobiological modelling: a phase II clinical trial. Br J Cancer 128, 576–585 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-02078-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-02078-w

Search

Quick links