Lessons in misdiagnosis and mistreatment of tumor spinal metastases

In just one month, four cases of tumor spinal metastasis patients were admitted and treated due to misdiagnosis of cervical and lumbar spondylosis, I feel extremely sorry for the patients, and I would like to popularize the related knowledge to improve the understanding of patients and healthcare personnel on tumor spinal metastasis. I. Tumor incidence In the 1990s, the incidence rate of tumors in China has increased to 127 cases per 100,000 people. In recent years, there are 1.6 million to 1.7 million new tumor patients in China every year, and the total number of patients is estimated to be around 4.5 million. In 2003, the mortality rate of malignant tumors among urban residents in China was 94.71/100,000, and cancer has become the first fatal disease, and the 10 cancers with the highest mortality rate are lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, colon, rectum and anus cancers, leukemia, breast cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, cervical cancer, and bladder cancer, while the mortality rate of malignant tumors among rural residents was even higher at 104.01/100,000, ranking the highest among all fatal diseases. The death rate of malignant tumors among rural residents is even higher, at 104.01 per 100,000 people, ranking the first among all fatal diseases, and the 10 cancers with the highest death rates are liver cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, colon, rectum and anus cancer, leukemia, breast cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, cervical cancer, and bladder cancer, respectively. It can be seen that whether in cities or villages, the mortality rate of malignant tumors ranks the first among all fatal diseases, therefore, tumors are still the biggest disease threatening the lives of people in China. Spinal metastasis is one of the most important characteristics of malignant tumors. About 70% of cancer patients have metastasis in different parts of the body. Spine is the most common site of bone metastasis, and according to statistics, malignant tumors transferred to the spine are only second to lungs and liver, ranking the third. Studies have shown that about 40% of patients who died from malignant tumors had spinal metastases. Spinal metastases are more common in the thoracic spine, followed by the lumbar spine. The initial clinical manifestation of tumor spine metastasis is not specific, often manifested as cervical and lumbar spine pain, and some patients think that they have spine degeneration or lumbar disc herniation or cervical spondylosis due to age and physiological condition; some young patients think that they have lumbar muscle strain due to prolonged Internet surfing. Patients go to non-tumor specialist hospitals and receive a series of physical therapy, including massage, acupressure, acupuncture, fire cupping and infrared irradiation, which not only delays the treatment, but also promotes the rapid development of the tumor. How to reduce the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of tumor spine metastasis? The receiving doctor should do careful questioning and examination, firstly, exclude the disease, conduct auxiliary examination, compared with X-ray and CT, MRI examination has higher specificity and sensitivity, bone ECT is often used for the initial investigation of bone metastasis, for cervical and lumbar pain, in order to exclude tumor spine metastasis, it is recommended that MRI examination is preferred. Example 1: Jin Moumou, a man, 25 years old, IT personnel, in May 2009, lumbosacral pain, and gradually aggravated, lumbar activity is limited, an orthopedic hospital, diagnosis of “lumbar myofibrositis, lumbar disc herniation”, dehydration, anti-inflammatory, extension, traction, massage, massage, acupuncture, cupping, infrared irradiation, the condition did not improve, the condition of 09, no improvement, and then the patient was treated. The patient was given dehydration, anti-inflammation, traction, massage, acupressure, acupuncture, cupping, infrared irradiation, but his condition did not improve. In July 2009, he underwent a spinal MRI examination and was diagnosed to have metastases in the sixth thoracic vertebrae, third lumbar vertebrae, and second sacral vertebrae, with the primary foci yet to be investigated. The patient’s family was very anxious and came to our hospital with the MRI films, and I told the family not to rush the PET-CT examination first. After the patient came to our hospital, a soft tissue mass of 6*8*3.5cm in size was found on the back of the right shoulder through physical examination, and the patient was diagnosed with primitive exophytic malignant tumor (PNET) through coarse needle aspiration biopsy, and the patient was diagnosed clearly and treated reasonably soon. Example 2: Ms. Zhang, 45 years old, a strong woman in the business world, went to orthopedic hospitals, Chinese medicine hospitals, and famous general hospitals because of lumbar and leg pains, and was treated for lumbar disc herniation for half a year, during which she had an X-ray and CT examination, and no abnormality was found. Because of the aggravation of the condition, the lower limbs were paralyzed, which led to MRI examination and diagnosis of the fifth lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra bone metastasis. Family members carried the patient into the ward with a stretcher, and physical examination showed a bulging mass in the patient’s right iliac lumbar region, and lung cancer bone metastasis was diagnosed by mass puncture and chest CT examination, and we gave the patient molecular targeted therapy, and in less than one month of treatment, the patient was able to stand, and in two months of treatment and reexamination, the mass in the lung and the spine had obviously receded.