Assessment of the reliability of the Enneking and Weinstein-Boriani-Biagini classifications for staging of primary spinal tumors by the spine oncology study group

Despite advances in the treatment of primary spinal tumors in recent years, the with respect to the feasibility of oncologically appropriate surgical treatment and the selection of the optimal surgical approach. These tumors are relatively rare, comprising 11% of all primary musculoskeletal tumors and 4.2% of all spine tumors.1,2 Of all primary spine tumors only 6% are malignant,3 but it is the malignant tumors that present the greatest therapeutic challenges. The uniqueness of these tumors has lead to a lack of evidencebased standards and the potential immensity of these cases has resulted in varied surgical management based on individual surgeon's experience and preference. In addition, most surgical options carry significant morbidity and consume vast resources. In contrast, there is emerging evidence that incomplete or oncologically inappropriate resection increases local recurrence rate and decreases overall survival. 4-15.