Prostate cancer and spinal cord compression

Cancer can spread to bones in the spine or cause swelling around the spinal cord and the nerves leaving it. Pressure may disturb nerve signals between the brain and the body. Back or neck pain can be present, sometimes worse when lying down, coughing, or moving. Weakness, heaviness, numbness, tingling, unsteady walking, or changes in bladder or bowel control are more concerning than pain alone. Other conditions, including multiple myeloma, can also affect the spine; the cause must be established with an examination and imaging.

Contact the oncology team urgently if new back pain occurs with weakness, altered sensation, walking difficulty, or bladder or bowel changes. Keep a record of when symptoms began and whether they are progressing. A clinician may check strength, reflexes, sensation, and walking, then arrange spine imaging. Treatment can include medicines to reduce swelling, radiotherapy to control cancer in the affected area, or surgery when decompression or spinal stability is needed. Palliative Radiotherapy and Tumour Removal Surgery are treatment topics you can read about.

Go to an emergency department immediately for new leg weakness, inability to walk, loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty passing urine, or numbness around the inner thighs, buttocks, or genital area. Do not wait for a routine appointment if symptoms are worsening. Tell the emergency service that prostate cancer and possible spinal cord compression are concerns, because rapid assessment can help protect nerve function.

Ask which spinal level may be involved, whether urgent imaging is needed, how treatment could affect walking and pain, and what changes should trigger emergency review. Clarify who to call outside clinic hours and whether you should limit lifting or other movements until the spine has been assessed.