Radiation therapy for metastatic spinal cord compression. Comparison of functional outcome in lung cancer and the other cancer

We compared the functional outcome after radiotherapy in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression caused by lung cancer and the other cancers. Twenty-three patients with lung cancer and 55 patients with the other cancers had irradiation therapy for cervicothoracic metastasis. The average prescription dose was 36 Gy. The grade of American Spinal Injury Association was used to evaluate muscle strength. Spinal canal residual area was calculated for evaluation of spinal canal invasion. Metastasis from lung cancer showed significantly poor recovery compared with the cancers (p=0.026). Patients with abnormal lower limb reflex and with smaller spinal canal residual area showed tendency of poor recovery of muscle strength (p=0.15). Deep sensory disturbance showed poor improvement without a relation to the primary cancer. The improvement of muscle strength in metastatic spinal compression caused by lung cancer was worse than that by the other cancers. (author)