Treatment outcomes of stereotactic body radiation therapy for primary and metastatic sarcoma of the spine

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the treatment outcomes of spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in sarcoma patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 44 sarcoma patients and 75 spinal lesions (6 primary tumors, 69 metastatic tumors) treated with SBRT were retrospectively reviewed between 2006 and 2017. The median radiation dose was 33 Gy (range, 18–45 Gy) in 3 fractions (range, 1–5) prescribed to the 75% isodose line. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 18.2 months. The 1-year local control was 76.4%, and patients treated with single vertebral body were identified as a favorable prognostic factor on multivariate analyses. Progression-free survival at 1 year was 31.9%, with the interval between initial diagnosis and SBRT and extent of disease at the time of treatment being significant prognostic factors. The 1-year overall survival was 80.5%, and PTV and visceral metastases were independently associated with inferior overall survival. CONCLUSION: SBRT for spinal sarcoma is effective in achieving local control, particularly when treating a single vertebral level with a limited extent of disease involvement, resulting in an excellent control rate. The extent of disease at the time of SBRT is significantly correlated with survival outcomes and should be considered when treating spine sarcoma. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13014-023-02346-w.