Spinal Cancer and Tumors
Your spine is the central pillar supporting your body’s movement and function. Bones called vertebrae stack up to form the spinal column. This structure protects your delicate spinal cord, the bundle of nerves that extends from your brain to your pelvis. Your spinal cord helps tell the rest of your body how to move and what to feel. Spinal tumors can affect this functioning, causing problems not just with your spine but with your arms, legs, bladder or other organs.
Primary spinal tumors are rare. Metastatic spinal tumors are more common and occur when other types of cancer spread to the spine.
Accessing the variety of specialists needed for spine care can be complicated. The UK HealthCare Comprehensive Spine Center makes it simple by bringing together a team of all the specialists you may need. Within our collaborative program, you have access to all our specialties: physical medicine and rehabilitation, interventional pain medicine, orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery. We also collaborate closely with experts from UK Markey Cancer Center. You will be evaluated at your initial appointment to determine the best treatment path for your specific needs.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of spinal tumors include:
- Back pain
- Difficulty walking or increased falling
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of bladder or bowel function
- Loss of sensation in the arms, chest or legs
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness or tingling
- Paralysis
- Spinal deformity
- Stiffness in the neck or back
Symptoms of spinal cancer vary depending on what type of cancer you have, where in the back it is located, and the stage of the cancer. Smaller tumors may only cause back pain, whereas larger tumors that cause pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots can be more debilitating.
Diagnosis of spinal tumors
Every patient is different, and each diagnostic process will be unique, as well. Your care team may use a combination of different techniques to determine your diagnosis.
If you have symptoms of a spinal tumor, your provider will take a full medical history and perform a physical and neurological exam. You will need imaging to determine if a tumor or something else could be causing your symptoms, which could include:
- Bone scan
- CT scan
- MRI
- X-ray
If a tumor is found on imaging and you do not already have a primary cancer diagnosis, you will need a biopsy of cancer cells to determine the specific type of tumor you have or whether it is a benign condition. Your doctor will also order a range of lab tests, including blood work and possibly a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).
Potential diagnoses
There are a wide range of spinal tumors. Intradural Intramedullary tumors start in the cells of the spinal cord itself and include:
- Gliomas, which also include astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas and ependymomas
- Intradural extramedullary tumors start in the cells just outside the spinal cord and include:
- Meningiomas
- Neurofibromas
- Schwannomas
Extradural spinal tumors are the most common. They most often are related to spread from a different organ (for example, lung or colon) but may also be primary (for example, spinal osseous tumors).
Treatment for spinal tumors can involve chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery to remove the tumor or relieve pressure on the spinal cord. The multidisciplinary team at the UK HealthCare Comprehensive Spine Center and UK Markey Cancer Center has the expertise your family needs to treat these challenging diseases.
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