Metastatic spinal tumor due to prostatic cancer 7 years after suprapubic prostatectomy for benign disease: A case report

A 65 year old man had undergone suprapubic prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia at another institute in 1987. He came to our hospital complaining of left back dull pain arid weight loss in 1994. After admission, he was found to have a 7th thoracic vertabral tumor (2x2x4cm in size) by MRI, and proved to have high prostatic tumor markers, these being PA: 500ng/ml, γ SM: 200ng/ml and PAP: 170ng/ml. Suddenly, he was attacked by spinal paralysis in the lower extremities. Following the diagnosis of spinal metastasis of prostatic cancer, laminectomy and spinal instrumentation were performed. The pathological diagnosis was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Combination therapy with chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiotherapy was administered. Eight months later, he had regained the ability to walk, and his tumor markers had returned to the normal range.