Assessment of Quality of Life After Surgery for Spinal Metastases: Position Statement of the Global Spine Tumour Study Group

OBJECTIVE: To review suitable measures of patient-assessed outcome of surgery for spinal metastases, and suggest the Health-Related Quality of Life measures that are useful and practical for this group of patients. METHODS: Surgery for metastatic spinal tumors is becoming more common, but the impact of surgery on the patient, as determined by patient-assessed outcome measures, is not well known. The authors of this article include members of the Global Spine Tumour Study Group: an international group of spinal surgeons who are studying the techniques and outcomes of surgery for spinal tumors. During the development of a research database for the study of patients undergoing surgery for spinal metastases, the different outcome measures were discussed by a panel of spinal surgeons, and quality of life measures were chosen for inclusion, based on expert opinion and literature review. RESULTS: Several different measures are available to assess outcome after spinal surgery for metastatic disease, each with specific advantages and limitations, which are discussed. Our position is to use the EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaire, because of its simplicity and reliability. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the use of the EQ-5D measure in research for assessment of patient-centered outcomes and calculation of cost effectiveness of surgery for spinal metastases. Routine use of the measure in clinical practice is also encouraged, because it is a simple and quick method to assess overall clinical outcome.