Oncological diseases of the spine and its main structures can hardly be considered a rarity in medical practice. That is why many people are interested in information about what the symptoms of spinal cancer look like . After all, it is no secret to anyone: the sooner you start treating a tumor, the greater the chance of recovery.
The main forms of the disease
As is known, tumors can be either primary or secondary (in this case, the tumor is only metastasis, while the main focus of the disease is located in another organ). Before considering the main symptoms of spinal cancer, it is worth familiarizing yourself with its main forms:
- An extradural tumor is located outside the spinal cord.
- Intradural neoplasms are located under the dura mater and lead to compression of the spinal cord.
- An intramedullary tumor grows inside the spinal cord, which leads to swelling of the spine.
It is worth noting that the malignant process can occur in different tissues: bone, nerve, and cartilage. In any case, an increase in the size of the neoplasm leads to compression of certain structures - vertebrae and intervertebral discs, nerve roots and blood vessels are damaged, which explains the main symptoms of spinal cancer. In any case, in the absence of timely medical care, extremely serious complications appear, often leading to death.
Spinal Cancer: Symptoms
Most often, such a disease develops slowly, year after year. Its main symptoms appear when a tumor begins to put strong pressure on nearby structures. And one of the first symptoms is chronic weakness and fatigue. However, walking difficulties may also occur.
Quite often, cancerous lesions of the spine affect muscle tone - there is weakness, uncontrolled muscle cramps, pain in the legs and back, which cannot be stopped using conventional analgesics.
Subsequently, patients complain of numbness of the lower extremities, tingling and burning of the skin. If the tumor affects the nerve roots, then the normal functioning of those organs that they innervate is disrupted. For example, enuresis and fecal incontinence are also symptoms of spinal cancer .
If untreated, partial or complete paralysis develops, depending on the location and size of the affected area.
Spinal Cancer: Treatment
With such a disease, only complex therapy is used, which includes several methods at once. If the tumor has grown so much that it interferes with the normal functioning of the body, it must be removed surgically. Unfortunately, such operations are fraught with risk, since there is a high probability of damage to healthy nerve roots. However, modern equipment reduces the risk of postoperative injuries. In addition, even after surgery, a course of radiation or chemotherapy is additionally prescribed, since otherwise it is simply impossible to clear the spine of all malignant cells.