A Long-Term Control of Intramedullary Thoracic Spinal Cord Metastasis from Small Cell Lung Cancer

Radiotherapy with systemic corticosteroid therapy has been used to treat intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM), but recovery of function and long-term survival of these patients has been rarely observed. We report herein a small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patient with recurrent thoracic ISCM, who was successfully treated with radiotherapy and systemic corticosteroid therapy. A 70-year-old man, who was diagnosed as having SCLC seven months previously, developed thoracic ISCM. Soon after the detection of the lesion, the patient received radiotherapy with systemic corticosteroid therapy. Sensory disturbance in both extremities and neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction was recovered. The patient could walk after irradiation again. The patient received additional chemotherapy and survived 20 months after the diagnosis of ISCM recurrence. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment for ISCM and effective chemotherapy for recurrent SCLC might be the favorable factors for such patients. Further studies will be required to define a favorable subset of patients most likely to benefit from a conventional approach.