Extract
Skeletal metastases commonly occur in the
spine1-4
and present at multiple levels in as many as 40% to 70% of patients who have
disseminated malignant
tumors5-7.
Skeletal metastases most commonly arise from breast, lung, prostate,
colorectal, and renal primary tumors as well as from lymphoreticular tumors,
such as lymphoma or multiple
myeloma8-12.
Lesions that are metastatic to the spine represent the first manifestation of
cancer in as many as 20% of symptomatic
patients13,14.
Overall, approximately 10% of patients with neoplastic disease are likely to
have clinically important symptoms resulting from secondary lesions of the
spine3,15-17.