The article will review the symptoms and signs of spinal cancer.
The spinal cord of a person provides blood formation in the body. He is responsible for the formation of blood cells, the formation of the desired number of leukocytes, that is, this organ is the leading value in the functioning of the immune system. It is obvious why the diagnosis of spinal cancer sounds to the patient as a sentence. However, the possibilities of modern medicine often allow you to delay the "execution of the sentence" for a sufficiently long time, and sometimes completely cure this disease. It all depends on the stage of cancer and timely treatment.
Pathology Description
Spinal cord cancer is a collective concept that includes primary tumors whose cells grow in the spinal cord. We are talking about malignant and benign formations. Secondary tumors are a consequence of the development and spread of a tumor that has formed in another organ, that is, in this case they speak of metastases that have reached the spinal cord. According to statistics, the primary tumor is most often malignant. Next, consider the symptoms and signs of spinal cancer.
Main symptoms
Only early detection of the disease gives a chance of recovery, or at least the ability to suspend tumor growth. The difficulty lies in the asymptomatic course of pathology at first. The first signs of brain cancer are difficult to recognize. When the formation becomes crowded in a busy space, it begins to affect neighboring organs, interfering with the flow of lymph. At this point, certain symptoms begin to appear. Unfortunately, malignant neoplasms usually grow very quickly. And yet it makes sense to talk about certain symptoms of spinal cancer in the early stages:
- The appearance of back pain, especially if they become permanent. You need to understand that such pain does not necessarily mean cancer, it may have a completely different nature, but still remains a good reason to consult a specialist for the purpose of examination, especially when the concomitant cancer symptoms indicated below are observed.
- The occurrence of coordination problems.
What other signs of spinal cancer are possible?
- The presence of general weakness of the body along with loss of appetite and chronic fatigue syndrome.
- The occurrence of problems with the genitourinary system.
- The appearance of a change in sensation in the legs. These are the earliest symptoms of brain cancer (spinal). Moreover, the changes can be very different: some patients feel chills, and other pains. In more severe situations, we can even talk about paralysis.
- An allergy to the skin, especially if previously the person was not allergic. The intensity of the manifestation of allergic reactions can be different, in any case, in conjunction with the above symptoms - this is a good reason to undergo an examination.
Symptoms and manifestations of spinal cancer should not go unnoticed.
The examination offered by modern medicine includes the passage of neurological testing, x-rays, electroencephalograms and so on. If a patient is found to be worried during the examination, then a biopsy is prescribed, according to the results of which a final diagnosis is made, namely, the nature of the tumor is determined, the degree of danger that the pathological formation presents to the patient.
How much live with spinal cancer, we will tell below.
Characterization of frequently observed tumors
Neuromas are the most common of the primary tumors in this disease. They can grow from the spinal nerve in any area. Most often, these develop from the posterior roots, so the root symptom is the first symptom. This type of tumor is characterized by slow growth. Sometimes the correct diagnosis is made a few years after the onset of pain. With this type of tumor, symptoms of spinal cord compression may occur at an early stage. The tumor sometimes penetrates through the intervertebral foramen extravertebrally, taking the form of an hourglass.
Meningiomas are intradural tumors, ranking second in frequency among primary formations of the spinal cord. Most often they are localized in the thoracic region of the spinal cord, such tumors grow slowly. Symptoms of compression usually increase over several years.
Astrocytomas are the most common intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord. These arise in the area of the ponytail. According to clinical symptoms, these tumors are difficult to distinguish from extramedullary. Gliomas, in turn, grow slowly, accompanied by a gradual progression of neurological symptoms.
Spinal cord metastatic lesion
In patients with spinal cancer, direct hematogenous metastasis to extradural fat is sometimes noted. Therefore, metastases that affect the spinal cord are almost always located in the extradural space. Sources of metastasis include myeloma along with lymphomas, sarcomas, cancer of the lung, breast, prostate and kidney. How do metastases in spinal cord cancer manifest themselves?
In the framework of clinical manifestations, there is a constant pain that is localized in the back. Spinal cord compression processes usually begin with weakness in the legs or numbness. Difficult urination in combination with imperative urges can be replaced by paradoxical imperceptible ishuria. A neurological disorder usually builds up rapidly, and absolute paraplegia may develop within a few days.
Tumor developmental stages
As part of the development, spinal cancer passes through three stages:
- Through neurological. Initially, such neurological symptoms appear as mild local paraparesis of the muscles along with a sensory disorder of the conductor type and intermittent pain in the spine. This stage can last for many years (and in the presence of a benign neoplasm, even fifteen years). People may not even attach importance to these symptoms and not suspect the presence of a tumor.
- The second stage of brain cancer occurs when the size of the formation increases. For this reason, on the one hand, sensory impairment may occur in combination with radicular pain, and on the other hand, conductive symptoms along with partial paralysis of the leg muscles are likely. This stage is sometimes absent, so very often the third comes right away.
- The third stage of spinal cancer is the stage of paraparesis. Against its background, motor, and, in addition, sensory disorders along with vegetative and pelvic dysfunctions are noted in patients. Also, the pain syndrome can become more pronounced, and at the same time constant, it will only increase further. Extremities amid all this paralyze in pairs, and sometimes even completely. At times, spasmodic trembling is observed in the legs due to increased muscle tone. These cramps are very painful. In the area of tumor development, hypothermia of the skin may be observed. Complete paraplegia occurs after about three months (in the presence of malignant tumors) and after two years with benign neoplasms. People usually live with this stage of cancer for about six months.
Early diagnosis methods
As part of the early diagnosis, patients are prescribed a series of the following studies:
- Conducting magnetic resonance imaging. This procedure is required to obtain imaging of the spine, nerves and spinal cord. In order to improve the visualization of the neoplasm, a coloring substance is used.
- Conducting computed tomography. This test makes it possible to obtain an accurate image of the spine.
- Myelograms are performed using contrast, which is a special drug that is injected into the spine. Apply this procedure to determine the strangulated nerves.
- Taking a biopsy in the diagnosis of this type of cancer plays a crucial role. Such a measure allows us to determine whether the neoplasm is malignant or non-pathological. The result is obtained by examining a tissue formation sample under a microscope.
Now we turn to the question of the treatment of this serious disease and find out what methods of therapy are currently used to combat it.
Treatment methods and possibilities of modern medicine
So, if a person notices a characteristic symptomatology and, having turned to a specialist, receives a confirmation of the diagnosis, then the absolutely logical question arises: how to cure spinal cancer?
The treatment of this disease is prescribed only after a full examination, when the position of the neoplasm will be clearly defined along with its size, nature, degree of negative effect on health and the intensity of tumor growth.
In any case, the basic goal of therapy is to completely remove the tumor. Surgical intervention may not always be possible, since there is a great risk of hitting nearby nerves during removal of the formation. When deciding to prescribe one or another type of treatment, the doctor must take into account a huge number of various factors, starting with the patient’s age, his physical well-being, and ending with an assessment of the nature and prevalence of the neoplasm.
What does treatment mean?
Typically, treatment for this disease involves the following:
- Surgery With the help of modern technology, today doctors can get to the neoplasm located in the most inaccessible places. During the operation using electrodes, specialists have the opportunity to examine the nerves, which will minimize the risks that during removal of the tumor, the nearby nerves will be affected. In addition, modern doctors have at their disposal an ultrasonic aspirator, which destroys the formation and allows you to remove useless tissue residues. Unfortunately, not all formations can be removed through surgery. For example, if a patient has a large ependymoma located in the vertebral end section, then it is better to refuse the scalpel, since there are a large number of nerve endings. In this regard, to eliminate the neoplasm and not to hurt a single nerve is simply impossible. When the diagnosis is made, after the surgical removal of the formation, the patient must undergo a cycle of radiotherapy. Such a measure will reduce pain and the total number of neuropathological symptoms, and, in addition, will inhibit the growth of education.
- Conducting radiation therapy. Typically, the radiation technique is applied immediately after surgery to eliminate tissue residues that were not eliminated during the operation. It is also often the only way to destroy inoperable tumors. Radiation therapy is often prescribed to patients in the case of a metastatic tumor, when surgery may entail serious risks for the patient.
- Conducting chemotherapy. Despite the fact that this technique has gained great popularity in the treatment of many cancer pathologies, in the case of formations in the spinal cord, chemotherapy is practically not used. It is sometimes prescribed as an addition to the radiation technique. After the surgery, the patient is prescribed a rehabilitation course, since many patients in the postoperative period may encounter problems with sensitivity disorders. The effectiveness of rehabilitation directly depends on how the tumor was removed, and also at what stage (stage) this type of cancer was detected in the patient. Also important is how clearly the neoplasm was limited.
Recovery
The recovery period after removal of the tumor, as a rule, includes three stages:
- At the first stage, it is necessary to minimize the pain of the patient, while at the same time eliminating changes in posture.
- The second stage involves the elimination of domestic restrictions for the patient along with an improvement in his general well-being. A comprehensive recovery of patient movements is also carried out.
- At the third stage, the efforts of physicians are aimed at strengthening the musculoskeletal system. It is at this stage that the restrictions on physical activity are removed.
The rehabilitation period additionally involves the use of drugs along with massage and physiotherapeutic procedures. Also, the patient is prescribed therapeutic exercises and spa treatment. During the rehabilitation period, the patient is not allowed to lift weights or gain weight. Stress and hypothermia must be avoided.
How many live with symptoms of spinal cancer?
Forecast
A positive prognosis in the presence of this type of oncology is possible only if the pathology is detected early and the course of therapy is started in a timely manner. Survival of patients in the first five years immediately after removal of the tumor in such a case is one hundred percent.
In the event that the disease was detected late, then the life expectancy is only four years. The percentage of survivors in this situation is from seven to twenty-five percent. But there are victims in a state of disability.
It is important to note: in order not to be in the sad statistics, you must always be attentive to your body, undergo annual examinations by a doctor, and with the slightest suspicion of pathology, it is necessary to conduct a complete diagnosis. Therapeutic procedures should be carried out immediately from the moment of oncology detection.
We examined the symptoms of spinal cancer. How many live with this pathology is also described above.