COMPRESSION OF THE spinal cord is a medical emergency. If treatment is unsuccessful, transection of the cord results in lack of sensation, paralysis of limbs, and loss of sphincter control. When the compression is the result of lymphoma or metastatic carcinoma, management has classically consisted of laminectomy and tumor resection. Most centers utilize radiation therapy postoperatively in low to regular daily dose schedules as an adjuvant to the surgical attack, occasionally with the simultaneous administration of chemotherapy. The rationale evolved has been based upon the emergency nature of spinal cord compression and the dire consequences of failure to halt its progression. Because immediate decompression is considered essential, laminectomy is the procedure of choice. Some physicians believe that surgical decompression also reduces the risk of radiation edema due to tumor or spinal cord swelling, which may heighten the risk of further cord compression before relief is obtained. The statistics in the ...