The Combination of Separation Surgery and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for a Primary Osteosarcoma of the Spine: A Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Primary spinal osteosarcoma is a rare and intractable disease. Although en bloc resection is favorable for longer survival, it is not always achievable. Separation surgery, a partial resection with circumferential separation to safely deliver high-dose irradiation including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), has been recently indicated for patients with spinal cord compression secondary to solid tumor metastases. However, little evidence regarding this combination approach to spinal osteosarcoma exists. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 55-year-old male patient with a T1 tumor who underwent urgent decompression surgery for epidural spinal cord compression. Pathological findings revealed primary osteosarcoma. Separation surgery, IMRT, and adjuvant chemotherapy were applied to reduce the symptoms of epidural spinal cord compression. The patient was alive without local recurrence at the 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Separation surgery with IMRT can be a relatively safe and effective treatment option in patients with osteosarcoma adjacent to spinal cord when en-bloc resection is challenging.