A spinal cord tumor is an abnormal growth of cells that forms in or near the spinal cord. Tumors can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Spinal cord tumors can arise from the spinal cord itself or from nearby structures, such as the meninges (the protective layers that surround the spinal cord) or the nerve roots.

Spinal cord tumors can cause a range of symptoms, including pain, weakness, numbness, and difficulty with movement. The specific symptoms will depend on the location and size of the tumor. In some cases, spinal cord tumors may be asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging tests.

Diagnosis of a spinal cord tumor typically involves imaging tests such as MRI or CT scans, and biopsy of the tumor to determine if it is cancerous or non-cancerous. Treatment of spinal cord tumors may involve surgical removal of the tumor, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. The specific treatment approach will depend on the type, location, and extent of the tumor.

If a spinal cord tumor is not treated, it can cause significant complications, including paralysis, loss of sensation, and other neurological problems. It is important for individuals with symptoms of a spinal cord tumor to seek medical attention as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including neurosurgeons, oncologists, and radiation therapists, may be involved in the care of individuals with spinal cord tumors.

A spinal tumor is a growth that develops within your spinal canal or within the bones of your spine. A spinal cord tumor, also called an intradural tumor, is a spinal tumor that that begins within the spinal cord or the covering of the spinal cord (dura). A tumor that affects the bones of the spine (vertebrae) is called a vertebral tumor.

Spinal cord tumors may be classified as one of three different types depending on where they occur relative to the protective membranes of the spinal cord.

These are the main types of intradural tumors:

• Intramedullary tumors begin in the cells within the spinal cord itself, such as gliomas, astrocytomas or ependymomas.
• Extramedullary tumors grow in either the membrane surrounding the spinal cord or the nerve roots that reach out from the spinal cord. Although they don't begin within the spinal cord itself, these types of tumors may affect spinal cord function by causing spinal cord compression and other problems. Examples of extramedullary tumors that can affect the spinal cord include meningiomas, neurofibromas, schwannomas and nerve sheath tumors.

Tumors from other parts of the body can spread (metastasize) to the vertebrae, the supporting network around the spinal cord or, in rare cases, the spinal cord itself.

Spinal tumors or growths of any kind can lead to pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis. A spinal tumor can be life-threatening and cause permanent disability.

Treatment for a spinal tumor may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or other medications.

It's not clear why most spinal tumors develop. Experts suspect that defective genes play a role. But it's usually not known whether such genetic defects are inherited or simply develop over time. They might be caused by something in the environment, such as exposure to certain chemicals. In some cases, however, spinal cord tumors are linked to known inherited syndromes, such as neurofibromatosis 2 and von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Ideally, the goal of spinal tumor treatment is to eliminate the tumor completely, but this goal may be complicated by the risk of permanent damage to the spinal cord and surrounding nerves. Doctors also must take into account your age and overall health. The type of tumor and whether it arises from the structures of the spine or spinal canal or has spread to your spine from elsewhere in your body also must be considered in determining a treatment plan.

Treatment options for most spinal tumors include:

• Monitoring. Some spinal tumors may be discovered before they cause symptoms — often when you're being evaluated for another condition. If small tumors aren't growing or pressing on surrounding tissues, watching them carefully may be all that's needed.
• During observation, your doctor will likely recommend periodic CT or MRI scans at an appropriate interval to monitor the tumor.
• Surgery.This is often the treatment of choice for tumors that can be removed with an acceptable risk of spinal cord or nerve injury damage.
• Newer techniques and instruments allow neurosurgeons to reach tumors that were once considered inaccessible. The high-powered microscopes used in microsurgery make it easier to distinguish tumor from healthy tissue.
• Doctors also can monitor the function of the spinal cord and other important nerves during surgery, thus minimizing the chance of injuring them. In some instances, very high-frequency sound waves might be used during surgery to break up tumors and remove the fragments.
• But even with the latest technological advances in surgery, not all tumors can be totally removed. When the tumor can't be removed completely, surgery may be followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy or both.
• Recovery from spinal surgery may take weeks or longer, depending on the procedure. You may experience a temporary loss of sensation or other complications, including bleeding and damage to nerve tissue.
• Radiation therapy. This may be used to eliminate the remnants of tumors that remain after surgery, to treat inoperable tumors or to treat those tumors where surgery is too risky.
• Medications may help ease some of the side effects of radiation, such as nausea and vomiting.
• Sometimes, your radiation therapy regimen may be adjusted to help minimize the amount of healthy tissue that's damaged and to make the treatment more effective. Modifications may range from simply changing the dosage of radiation to using sophisticated techniques such as 3-D conformal radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy. A standard treatment for many types of cancer, chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing. Your doctor can determine whether chemotherapy might be beneficial for you, either alone or in combination with radiation therapy.
• Side effects may include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, increased risk of infection and hair loss.
• Other drugs. Because surgery and radiation therapy as well as tumors themselves can cause inflammation inside the spinal cord, doctors sometimes prescribe corticosteroids to reduce the swelling, either after surgery or during radiation treatments.
• Although corticosteroids reduce inflammation, they are usually used only for short periods to avoid serious side effects such as muscle weakness, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes and an increased susceptibility to infection.