SECONDARY METASTASIC LESIONS OF ΤΗΕ SPINE

Abstract

53 patients age 32-80 years old, presented at the Neurosurgical clinic of our hospital for metastatic cancer of the spine. There were 29 men and 24 women. An admission 18 patients claimed of local pain of the vertebral column not accompanied by any other symptom. 30 patients presented for radicular pain and 5 patients presented with paraparesis and sphincter disturbances. The clinical examination revealed the neurologic deficit and estimated the site of the lesion which was then confirmed with X-rays, myelograpy and CT-scan. Αll patients underwent decompression laminectomy and removal of the mass. After surgery all patients underwent a series of radiotherapies. Patients with local pain showed marked improvement. 22 out of the 30 patients with radicular pain responded well to the above treatment, while in 5 patients there was no change in their condition and in the other 3 there was marked deterioration of the neurologic deficit. The patients with paraparesis and sphincter disturbances showed no improvement. We believe that combined surgical treatment and radiotherapy can improve the quality of the life of the cancer patients if the diagnosis of the metastatic lesion is promply established.