A C Disch1, C Kleber2, D Redemann2, C Druschel2, U Liljenqvist3, K D Schaser2. 1. University Comprehensive Spine Center (UCSC), University Center for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital at the TU Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: alexander.disch@uniklinikum-dresden.de. 2. University Comprehensive Spine Center (UCSC), University Center for Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital at the TU Dresden, Germany. 3. Orthopaedic Department II, Spine Surgery, St. Franziskus Hospital Münster, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Questionnaire survey among the members of the German Spine Society (Deutsche Wirbelsäulen-Gesellschaft, DWG) to objectify oncological infrastructure and current standard of care in spinal tumor treatment in Germany. METHODS: All DWG-members were contacted via the society's e-mail and asked to respond in anonymized form to a related questionnaire. Questions were asked regarding surgical specialty, type of institution involved, numbers of spinal procedures, as well as questions on treatment for primary tumors, whether the respondent belonged to a tumor center, decision-making procedures for surgery, and the type of procedure. RESULTS: 84 centers providing surgical treatment for spinal tumors in their departments were identified. 52.6% were carrying out more than 500 spinal procedures per year. There was a significant association (P ≤ 0.05) between the numbers of spinal surgeries, the number of treated tumor patients per year, the organisation in a tumor center and the treatment of primary tumors. 76% are part of a local tumor center for interdisciplinary decision making (i.e.surgical treatment and adjuvant therapy). 74% of the institutions stated that conventional postoperative radiotherapy is standardly administered in the case of secondary lesions, with 24% of them referring patients to external services for radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: In spite of often large numbers of spinal operations, the centers perform relatively small numbers of tumor operations, particularly for primary tumors. A nearly three-quarter majority of the departments are integrated into interdisciplinary tumor care. However, there is a marked number that do not belong to an interdisciplinary organisation. Further advances in multidisciplinarity and oncology training are a continuous issue to increase treatment quality in spinal tumor patients.
PURPOSE: Questionnaire survey among the members of the German Spine Society (Deutsche Wirbelsäulen-Gesellschaft, DWG) to objectify oncological infrastructure and current standard of care in spinal tumor treatment in Germany. METHODS: All DWG-members were contacted via the society's e-mail and asked to respond in anonymized form to a related questionnaire. Questions were asked regarding surgical specialty, type of institution involved, numbers of spinal procedures, as well as questions on treatment for primary tumors, whether the respondent belonged to a tumor center, decision-making procedures for surgery, and the type of procedure. RESULTS: 84 centers providing surgical treatment for spinal tumors in their departments were identified. 52.6% were carrying out more than 500 spinal procedures per year. There was a significant association (P ≤ 0.05) between the numbers of spinal surgeries, the number of treated tumorpatients per year, the organisation in a tumor center and the treatment of primary tumors. 76% are part of a local tumor center for interdisciplinary decision making (i.e.surgical treatment and adjuvant therapy). 74% of the institutions stated that conventional postoperative radiotherapy is standardly administered in the case of secondary lesions, with 24% of them referring patients to external services for radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: In spite of often large numbers of spinal operations, the centers perform relatively small numbers of tumor operations, particularly for primary tumors. A nearly three-quarter majority of the departments are integrated into interdisciplinary tumor care. However, there is a marked number that do not belong to an interdisciplinary organisation. Further advances in multidisciplinarity and oncology training are a continuous issue to increase treatment quality in spinal tumorpatients.
Authors: Georg Osterhoff; Denis Rappert; Max J Scheyerer; Alexander C Disch; Bernhard W Ullrich; Ulrich A Spiegl; Klaus J Schnake Journal: Unfallchirurgie (Heidelb) Date: 2022-07-15