Treatment
- Steroids (e.g. corticosteroids) may be administered if there is evidence of spinal cord compression. These do not affect the tumoral mass itself, but tend to reduce the inflammatory reaction around it, and thus decrease the overall volume of the mass impinging on the spinal cord.
- Radiotherapy may be administered to patients with malignant tumors. Radiation is usually delivered to the involved segment in the spinal cord as well as to the uninvolved segment above and below the involved segment.
- Surgery is sometimes possible. The goals of surgical treatment for spinal tumors can comprise of histologic diagnosis, tumor local control or oncological cure, pain relief, spinal cord decompression and restoration of neurological function, restoration of spine stability, and deformity rectification.
Some suggest that direct decompressive surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy provide better outcomes than treatment with radiotherapy alone for patients with spinal cord compression due to metastatic cancer. It is also important to take into consideration the prognosis of the patients and their ambulation status at diagnosis, and treat accordingly.
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