[Spinal paralysis caused by spinal metastasis of prostatic cancer]

From 1977 to 1986, in the Chiba University Hospital, 107 cases of prostatic cancer with bone metastasis were experienced. In 10 of them spinal paralysis caused by spinal metastasis of prostatic cancer was observed. Untreated five cases received endocrine therapy. One of them also underwent spine laminectomy and spinal instrumentation and regained the ability to walk. But the other cases treated by endocrine therapy showed only insufficient improvement of paralysis. Five cases with spinal paralysis which were resistant to endocrine therapy were treated by chemotherapy or radiation to the site of bone metastasis. One of them underwent laminectomy and spinal instrumentation. However, most cases showed no improvement of paralysis. It is concluded that spinal surgery is recommended in untreated cases for the sake of quality of life, but in cases with hormone resistance spinal surgery should cautiously be applied.