title: [Treatment of spinal cord compression caused by malignant disease].
abstract: Patients suffering from metastatic spinal cord compression can be treated with decompressive surgery and/or radiotherapy. The best treatment regimen remains to be established. In the present paper we report our experience of a therapeutic regimen with main emphasis on radiotherapy, but where selected patients were treated with laminectomy followed by radiotherapy. 67 patients were treated during a two year period, 60 with radiotherapy as the sole treatment modality. The ambulation rate after treatment was 56.7%. Degree of loss of neurological function before treatment and tumour histology were prognostic factors for a successful outcome, defined as the patient's ability to walk after treatment. We emphasize the importance of starting treatment before development of advanced neurological deficits.
authors.affiliation: Onkologisk avdeling Det Norske Radiumhospital, Oslo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heimdal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watne
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirschberg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Slettebø
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nome
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery
vernacular_title: Behandling av tverrsnittslesjon forårsaket av malign sykdom.