title: Lumbar tumor resections and management.
abstract: More than one-third of patients with cancer have vertebral metastases found at autopsy. Primary and metastatic tumors to the spinal column can lead to pain, instability, and neurologic deficit. Symptomatic lesions are most prevalent in the thoracic spine (70%), followed by the lumbar spine (20%) and cervical spine (10%). Lesions in larger vertebral bodies tend to be asymptomatic given the increased ratio between the diameter of the spinal canal and the traversing nerve roots.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Spinal Surgery Section, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford University Hospitals and Clinics, Room R171, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. tfalamin@aol.com
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alamin
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayle
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*