Bladder cancer is most commonly characterized by uroepithelial carcinoma, in addition to adenocarcinoma or squamous carcinoma in a few patients. Bladder cancer can undergo hematogenous metastasis to liver, lung, adrenal gland, bone and other parts of the body. Among them, spine is the most common site of bone metastasis.
Spinal metastasis in bladder cancer patients mainly manifests as persistent low back pain with progressive aggravation. When spinal metastases compress or invade spinal cord or nerve roots, it can cause corresponding neurological symptoms, such as weakness of limbs, numbness of hands and feet, incontinence, pain in lower limbs and so on.
Metastasis of bladder cancer to spinal vertebrae can induce pathological fracture of vertebrae, and backward displacement of fracture block can seriously damage spinal cord and cause paralysis. Therefore, patients with a history of bladder cancer and persistent low back pain should be suspected of spinal metastasis.
It is recommended that the patient should go to the hospital as soon as possible to get a clear diagnosis and intervene as soon as possible to avoid pathological fracture of the vertebrae or even spinal cord paralysis.