QSPC-01 INVESTIGATING DISTRESS LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC SPINE DISEASE UNDERGOING SURGICAL INTERVENTION

Cancer patients often experience high levels of distress, which are particularly pronounced in the perioperative period. However, there is a dearth of research on distress rates in patients with metastatic spine disease (MSD). This study aims to assess pre-operative and post-operative distress levels in patients with MSD undergoing surgical intervention.

We retrospectively queried electronic medical records from a single institution for demographic and clinical data on patients with metastatic spine disease who underwent surgical intervention between 2015 and 2023. Data also included preoperative (within 60 days of surgery) and postoperative (within 30 days of surgery) National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Distress Thermometer (NCCN-DT) scores.

We identified 222 patients with complete NCCN-DT questionnaires. Nearly half (46.4%) of the patients were female, with 71.2% identifying as White, and 68.5% being married or partnered. The median age at the time of spine metastasis diagnosis was 62.5 years (IQR: 53.0; 71.5). Preoperatively, the mean distress score was 3.5 (range 0-10), with 103 (46.4%) patients reporting moderate to severe distress (DT ≥ 4). The mean distress score at 30-days postop was 3.2 (range 0-10), with 43.75% of patients reporting moderate to severe distress. At 90-days post-op, the mean distress score was 2.3 (range 0-9) with 23.8% of patients reporting moderate to severe levels.

Distress is a common experience among patients with metastatic spine disease undergoing surgical intervention. Preoperatively, nearly half of these patients report moderate to severe distress. While distress rates generally decline postoperatively, a considerable proportion of patients continue to experience high levels of distress. These findings underscore the significance of addressing distress in this patient population.