MULTIPLE OPERATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BONY METASTASES AND A PROLONGED COURSE OF DISEASE

A retrospective study of 19 patients suffering from bone metastases wi th a survival time of more than 24 months, and having undergone at lea st three operations, is reported. Fourteen patients had to have multip le surgery because of local recurrences after internal fixation suppor ted by bone cement (n = 12) or tumour resection alone (n = 2). Only fi ve of 19 patients had several operations because of multiple-site bony metastases without any unnecessary surgery as a result of failed loca l tumour control with recurrences. A complete and extralesional resect ion of solitary bone metastases with a potentially poor response to ra diotherapy, such as hypernephroma, could help to avoid additional surg ery in patients with a shortened life expectancy.