A profile of metastatic carcinoma of the spine

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Schaberg J. Gainor BJ. x Spine. [JC:uxk] 10(1):19-20, 1985 Jan-Feb. x Metastatic bone disease in 322 patients was analyzed to assess the x frequency and behavior of disseminated carcinoma to the vertebral column. x Breast, lung, and prostate neoplasms were the most frequent tumors of x origin in the 55% of patients who had vertebral lesions. The lumbar spine x was the site of the greatest number of metastases. Back pain did not occur x in 36% of the 179 patients with spinal disease. Cord compression occurred x in 20% of the patients with vertebral involvement, and prostate tumors x were the most frequent neoplasm to cause epidural spinal cord impingement. x Hypernephroma was the most common cancer to present as a neurologic x deficit secondary to an undetected primary malignancy. x