Patient Expectations About Palliative Treatment for Symptomatic Spinal Metastases: A Qualitative Study

•Fulfillment of pretreatment expectations of patients with symptomatic spinal metastases about outcomes of palliative surgery and/or radiation therapy may play an important role in post-treatment health-related quality of life. Nevertheless, currently little is known about these pretreatment expectations.•This qualitative study explored patient expectations regarding treatment outcomes after surgery and/or radiation therapy for the treatment of spinal metastases. These insights can help physicians to guide toward realistic pretreatment expectations and hence improved health-related quality of life.•Patients thought they were not or minimally informed about (expected) treatment outcomes. They expected pain relief and improvement in daily functioning, but found it difficult to describe any recovery timeline or the impact of these expected improvements on their daily life. Expectations regarding pain and daily functioning were only partially met after treatment.