TY - JOUR
T1 - Back pain in the cancer patient
T2 - An algorithm for evaluation and management
AU - Portenoy, Russell K.
AU - Lipton, Richard B.
AU - Foley, Kathleen M.
PY - 1987/1
Y1 - 1987/1
N2 - Epidural spinal cord compression is common in patients with metastatic cancer. Back pain is usually the first symptom and may be present for months before neurologic abnormalities occur. A favorable outcome depends on early diagnosis and treatment. For the management of this problem, we propose an algorithm that begins with the treatment of patients who need emergency care and proceeds with an orderly approach to the evaluation of less urgent cases. The central elements include the criteria for myelography and the rational use of corticosteroids, radiation therapy, and surgery.
AB - Epidural spinal cord compression is common in patients with metastatic cancer. Back pain is usually the first symptom and may be present for months before neurologic abnormalities occur. A favorable outcome depends on early diagnosis and treatment. For the management of this problem, we propose an algorithm that begins with the treatment of patients who need emergency care and proceeds with an orderly approach to the evaluation of less urgent cases. The central elements include the criteria for myelography and the rational use of corticosteroids, radiation therapy, and surgery.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0023084436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0023084436&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1212/wnl.37.1.134
DO - 10.1212/wnl.37.1.134
M3 - Review article
C2 - 2948135
AN - SCOPUS:0023084436
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 37
SP - 134
EP - 138
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 1
ER -
