spinal surgery

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jleigh
jleigh Member Posts: 194
edited June 2014 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

just found out that spine has cancer. c6 is shot. so they want to replace it so that it will be stable for other areas of spine to have radiation.  said i am perfect candidate - 41, healthy, blah blah.  thought i would start xeloda today and radiation but my great oncolocist spoke with neurosurgeon and wants to do this first and then chemo.  anyone have surgery on spine?  i am in pain in this area. so im very excited to get the stupid cancerous region taken out.  going in next tuesday. only one night in hospital and can walk the next day.  amazing, huh?  any one done this?  oncologist and neurosurgeon said that its better to replace than to radiate for future mobility issues.  thanks and thinking of you all!

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  • ibcmets
    ibcmets Member Posts: 4,286
    edited February 2010

    jleigh,

    I was diagnosed staged IV with bone mets.  Many mets in my spine;however I did not have pain.  Your treatment could be because of the pain.  My oncologist did chemo, Zometa for the bones and Femara for hormone therapy.  He says surgery  & radiation only if I'm in severe pain.

    Terri

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  • cancersuks
    cancersuks Member Posts: 258
    edited March 2010

    Jleigh,

    I have stage IV with mets to my spine.  In Dec. I had a kyphoplasty done to my T-8 and T-12 vertebrae because they were fractured and was in pain.  That's where they use paste/cement to mend the fracture and that was an out-patient procedure.  I was in a car that was hit 2 weeks ago and it smashed the kyphoplasty and the vertebrae is smashed too.  The surgeon is now talking about installing pins into my spine to support it.  This will not be an in/out procedure and he's talking 2-3 week recovery.  I can't imagine your surgery to the spine being that quick.  Do you know how they're replacing it?  Also, they did not remove any cancer, only enough to do a biopsy.

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  • flash
    flash Member Posts: 1,685
    edited March 2010

    cancersucks-  I'd double check with the surgeon but if he's puttting in rods it's much more than 2-3 week recovery.  It is well worth it from what I've researched,  Now, I just need to get up the courage.....

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  • Mazy1959
    Mazy1959 Member Posts: 1,431
    edited March 2010

    jl I had a kyphoplasty in october for bone mets in the L5 vertebrae. Its possible I may have to go back and have it removed and have rods placed. My surgeon had told me that the putting rods in etc would be several weeks healing time. I hope it all works out for you.

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