The following symptoms and complaints may indicate tumors of the spine:
- Back pain (marked pain; caused by osteolysis/bone dissolution, occurring mainly at night with a probing, gnawing character, which wakes patients during sleep). Location of back pain suggests quite accurately the location of the tumor.
- Numbness and paresis (paralysis) as signs of spinal cord compression; neurological functional deficits are described in 10-20% of patients with spinal metastases (daughter tumors). They can manifest themselves in the form of sensory deficits, bladder or rectal dysfunction and even paraplegia.
Further notes
- The spine is the most common site for metastatic spread.
- In bone metastases, local pain (drilling, continuous pain, pain at rest) is the main concern.
