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Current Concepts of Systemic Therapy of Spinal Tumors

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Diagnosis and Therapy of Spinal Tumors

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

Tumors of the spinal column signify a serious risk of debilitating neurological complications, including paraplegia and loss of sphincter control through compression of the spinal roots and cord as the result of epidural extension from the neoplastic vertebral lesion or, more sporadically, due to bony impingement from a pathological vertebral fracture. By far the commonest type of neoplastic spinal cord compression is that caused by metastatic tumor. Vertebral metastases are particularly common in breast cancer, lung cancer, and cancer of the prostate and occur in the majority of these patients with advanced disseminated disease Stoll 1983). Metastases develop usually in multiple vertebral bodies, especially in breast and prostate cancer (Stark et al. 1982). Analogous to the occurence of bone metastases, epidural metastases may present at any stage of metastatic disease. Epidural spinal cord compression can also result from an extral extension of a paravertebral tumor through the intervertebral foramina.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoekhuis, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    W. Boogerd MD, PhD

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  1. W. Boogerd MD, PhD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Medical Center Alkmaar, Wilhelminalaan 12, P.O. Box 501, 1800, Alkmaar, The Netherlands

    Paul R. Algra MD, PhD

  2. Department of Radiology, Free University Hospital, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jaap Valk MD,PhD

  3. Department of Neurology, Free University Hospital, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jan J. Heimans MD, PhD

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Boogerd, W. (1998). Current Concepts of Systemic Therapy of Spinal Tumors. In: Algra, P.R., Valk, J., Heimans, J.J. (eds) Diagnosis and Therapy of Spinal Tumors. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60254-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60254-2_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64321-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60254-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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