Long-term follow-up after cervical en bloc resection as salvage surgery of spinal chondrosarcoma: illustrative case.

Abstract

Background: Chondrosarcomas are rare malignancies arising from the bone, primarily from the mobile spine. Multimodal treatment is the standard of care, with surgery as a cornerstone for local control since incomplete resection is the main driving factor for progression and disease-related mortality.

Observations: Here, the authors present the case of a patient who underwent an initial subtotal resection and adjuvant proton beam radiation therapy. Subsequent salvage surgery with aggressive resection was planned in an interdisciplinary setting, resulting in complete resection without recurrence. Despite incomplete resection initially, this case represents an example for reconsidering salvage surgery in an interdisciplinary setting and center of expertise even for cases with residual tumor burden.

Lessons: By highlighting the current literature and setting this clinical case in this context, the authors present a case with a 10-year long-term follow-up, showing that surgical salvage therapy is a possible treatment path with predictable surgery-related morbidity in patients with spinal chondrosarcomas. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE25317.