Thermal Ablation and Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Treating Patients With Spine Metastases at Risk for Compressing the Spinal Cord

Inclusion: * At least 18 years of age. * Histologic diagnosis of solid malignant tumor (not one of the more radiosensitive histologic subtypes, see Exclusion Criteria), including but not limited to non-small cell lung cancer, breast, prostate, renal cell, melanoma, gastrointestinal, sarcoma, thyroid, head and neck primary, and unknown primary tumors. * Quantification of the degree of epidural spinal cord compression as grade 1C, 2, or 3 by MRI, with and without contrast sequences. Axial T2 sequence is encouraged but not required. * The vertebral body site to be treated must be located from T2-T12. * No more than 3 contiguous or discontiguous vertebral levels involved with metastasis in the spine to be irradiated in a single session or 3 sessions. * Motor strength \>/=4 out of 5 in extremity or extremities affected by the level of the spinal cord compression (see section 4 for grading method). * ECOG performance status \</=2 or Karnofsky performance status (KPS) \>/=50 * Life expectancy \>3 months. * Inoperable disease because of patient refusal, neurosurgical evaluation, or any other medical reasons. * Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) before study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. * Prio…