What if spine tumor surgery could get patients back to chemotherapy in four days instead of six to eight weeks? This discussion reveals how a paradigm shift from “surgeon fixing spine problems” to “oncologist managing spine disease” is revolutionizing outcomes for cancer patients. Discover how minimally invasive techniques—including endoscopic approaches, tube-based surgery, and ablation—enable tumor separation procedures through tiny incisions that dramatically accelerate the start of systemic therapy and radiation. Learn why true multidisciplinary coordination among spine surgery, interventional radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology isn’t just beneficial but essential for optimizing treatment sequencing and patient outcomes in this complex patient population.
Contributors:
Dr. Mark Amsbaugh is the Director of Radiation Oncology at Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Ran Lador is an orthopedic spinal surgeon practicing at Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Alexa Levey is an interventional radiologist, interventional pain proceduralist, and assistant clinical professor in Houston, Texas.
