Description

A spinal cord tumor is a growth of cells that forms in or around the spinal cord. The spinal cord extends down from the base of the brain. It consists of nerve cells and groups of nerves that carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The bones of the spine surround and protect the spinal cord.

Spinal cord tumors are also called tumors intradural or spinal tumors.

The majority of spinal cord tumors are not cancer, but some are cancerous. Spinal cord tumors that are not cancer are called benign tumors of the spinal cord. Spinal cord tumors that are cancer are also called malignant tumours of the spinal cord or the spinal cord cancers.

Many types of tumors of the spinal cord exists. The different types of spinal cord tumors are usually split them wherever they go.

  • Intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord. Intramedullary tumors of the spinal cord occur in the cells of the spinal cord. Examples of intramedullary spinal cord tumors including glioma, astrocytoma and ependymoma.
  • Extramedullary tumors of the spinal cord. Extramedullary tumors of the spinal cord occurring in the tissues around the spinal cord. These tumors can occur in the tissue surrounding the spinal cord, called the dura. It can also happen in the roots of the nerves that come from the spinal cord. Examples of extramedullary spinal cord tumors including meningioma, neurofibroma, schwannoma, and nerve sheath tumor.

Spinal cord tumors can occur anywhere along the spinal cord. The majority occur in the upper part of the back. Less often, the tumors occur in the neck or in the lower part of the back.

Tumors of the spinal cord can cause pain in the neck or in the back near where they are to grow. It can also cause loss of function in the part of the body controlled by the nerves involved in the tumor.

Spinal cord Tumor treatment depends on the type of tumor and its location in the spine. The treatments may include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Symptoms

Spinal cord tumors may not cause signs and symptoms in the beginning. When symptoms do occur, you can begin on the part of the spine, near the tumor. As a spinal cord tumor grows, this can damage the nearby nerves and cause symptoms in other parts of the body.

In the vertebral column, spinal cord tumor symptoms include:

  • Pain near the place where the tumor forms.
  • The pain that feels worse at night.
  • The pain that feels like it extends or is triggered by the back to the surrounding areas.
  • Pain that gets worse with time.

A spinal cord tumor that grows to hurt the nearby nerves can cause symptoms that occur along the nerves. Symptoms may include:

  • Changes in the sensitivity of one part of the body, as to be less sensitive to pain, heat and cold.
  • Loss of bowel or bladder.
  • Muscle weakness in one part of the body.
  • Problems with walking, which can lead to falls.

Spinal cord tumors rarely occur in children. The symptoms of spinal cord tumors in children include:

  • A new curve of the spine.
  • Neck or back pain, often worse at night.
  • The changes in the way in which the child walks, including trips and falls more than usual.
  • The loss of mobility. For example, a child who learned to walk may seem prefers to crawl. A child who learned to walk can't stand.
  • The muscle weakness.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have any symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It is not clear what the cause of the majority of the tumors of the spinal cord. A tumor of the spinal cord begins as a growth of cells in or around the spinal cord. The spinal cord extends down from the base of the brain. It consists of nerve cells and groups of nerves that carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The bones of the spine surround and protect the spinal cord.

A tumor of the spinal cord starts when cells in the spinal cord or in the surrounding tissue to develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA tells the cells to grow and multiply at a set rate. The DNA also tells the cells to die at a set time.

In tumor cells, changes in DNA to give different instructions. Changes to say to the tumor cells to grow and multiply quickly. Tumor cells can continue living when healthy cells would die. This makes too many cells. The tumor cells of a growth that can exert pressure on nearby nerves.

Sometimes the cells develop DNA changes that turn into cancer cells. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue.

Risk factors

Spinal cord tumors are more common in people who have:

  • The Neurofibromatosis type 1. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a genetic condition that causes changes in the pigment of the skin and tumors in the nervous tissue. The tumors can grow in any part of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
  • The Neurofibromatosis type 2. Neurofibromatosis type 2 is a genetic condition that often causes multiple tumors in the brain and spinal cord tumors.
  • The Von Hippel-Lindau disease. The Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a rare multisystem disease that causes the blood vessels to tumors. These tumors are called hemangioblastomas. May occur in the brain, retina, and spinal cord. This disease can also cause other types of tumors in the kidneys or adrenal glands.

There is no way to prevent tumors of the spinal cord.

Complications

Spinal cord tumors can press on the nerves. This can lead to a loss of movement or sensation. These changes tend to affect the parts of the body that are below the tumor. The changes may include weakness in the legs and difficulty walking. There may be changes in the intestine and the bladder.

Changes in the function and the feeling never go away. But spinal cord tumor treatment can help to prevent a greater loss of function. Sometimes, the function returns with the treatment.

Diagnosis

To diagnose a tumor of the spinal cord, a health professional may start by asking about your symptoms. The health care provider can do an exam to see how your nerves are working. Other tests that can help diagnose a tumor of the spinal cord are the imaging tests and biopsy.

Physical examination

A health professional can examine your body. This may involve checking your back to points of pain and other symptoms that may be related. This assessment may also include a neurological exam. This type of examination of evidence of the different parts of your body to understand how your nerves are working. The health care professional can check your balance, coordination, strength and reflexes.

Spinal magnetic resonance imaging

The mri uses a powerful magnetic field and radio waves to take images of the inside of the body. This test is also called an mri. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging can create detailed images of the spinal cord. Mri is usually the preferred test to detect tumors of the spinal cord.

A member of your health care team could put a dye into a vein in the arm or hand during magnetic resonance imaging. The dye, called a contrast agent, it helps to take clearer images.

Spinal computed tomography

A computerized tomography scan uses X-ray techniques to create detailed images of the body. It then uses a computer to create pictures of cross-sections, also called "slices" of the inside of the body. This test is also called computed tomography.

Spinal ct scan can make detailed pictures of the spine. Sometimes a professional of the health put a dye into a vein to this test. The dye helps you to take clearer images. Spinal CT aren't typically used to diagnose a tumor of the spinal cord. But you might give your health care team for more information to help you understand your condition.

Spinal cord Tumor biopsy

A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab. In the laboratory, the tests can show the type of tumor of the spinal cord that has.

To obtain the tissue sample, a professional of the health can put a needle through the skin and into the spinal column. The health care provider uses a needle to remove tissue from the tumor of the spinal cord. The sample goes to a lab for analysis. Results help health professionals make a treatment plan.

Often, a surgeon removes a sample of tissue from the tumor of the spinal cord during surgery. The sample can be tested immediately. The results tell the surgeon what type of cells are involved in the tumor. The type can help the surgeon to decide whether to proceed with surgery to remove the tumor from the spinal cord.

Treatment

The primary treatment for spinal cord tumor is surgery. Sometimes, the treatment consists of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

The goal of treatment is to remove the tumor from the spinal cord completely. But this might not be possible. The surgery carries a risk of damage to the spinal cord and the nerves around her. So the health care team must carefully plan the surgery to decrease the risk.

When creating your spinal cord tumor treatment plan, your health care team takes into account many factors. These factors include the type of tumor you have, where you are in the spinal column, and if the tumor affects the spinal cord or the surrounding tissue. Your health care team also considers your overall health and what you prefer.

Monitoring

Some spinal cord tumors do not cause symptoms. If a small tumor is growing slowly and not causing symptoms, treatment may not be needed immediately.

Instead, your health care team can see the tumor closely to see if it shows signs of growth. This may include imaging tests every so often.

Surgery for tumors of the spinal cord

The goal of surgery is to remove the entire tumor of the spinal cord. Your healthcare team to carefully consider whether surgery might hurt his spinal cord. If there is a good chance that the surgery will not cause long lasting damage, surgery may be an option for you.

For the majority of the tumors of the spinal cord, the surgeon makes an incision in the back or the neck to access the spinal column. The surgeon removes parts of some bones of the spine to get to the spinal cord. The surgeon uses a high-power microscope and surgical tools to carefully remove the tumor from the spinal cord.

Surgeons can control the function of the affected nerves during the surgery. This can reduce the risk of injury to the nerves. Some of the procedures related to high-energy sound waves to destroy a tumor and make it easier to remove. These and other techniques of spine surgery safer for more people with tumors of the spinal cord.

But even with the recent advances in the surgery, not all spinal cord tumors can be removed completely. If that happens, the surgeon may remove as much of the tumor as possible. Then, other treatments may be used after surgery.

Recovery from spine surgery can take weeks or months, depending on the procedure. It is common to have changes in sensation or loss of function of the right after the surgery. Often, these changes can start to get better slowly. If the changes in function are of long duration will depend on your situation. Talk with your health care team about what you can expect.

Radiation therapy for tumors of the spinal cord

Radiation therapy is of tumors with powerful rays of energy. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. During radiation therapy, you lie on a table while a machine moves around you. The machine directs radiation to precise points on your body.

The radiation may be used after surgery. You can help destroy the tumor cells that remain after surgery. The radiation may help slow the growth of a tumor, if surgery is not possible.

Chemotherapy for tumors of the spinal cord

Chemotherapy treats the cancer with strong medications. Many chemotherapy drugs exist. The majority of chemotherapy drugs are given through a vein. Some come in the form of a pill.

Chemotherapy does not work for all tumors of the spinal cord. It tends to work best in tumors of the spinal cord that are rapidly growing, such as some cancers of the spinal cord.

Chemotherapy may be used after surgery. You can help to kill tumor cells that remain.

Alternative medicine

There are alternative medicines that have been proven to cure tumors of the spinal cord. But some complementary and alternative treatments may help with symptoms.

People with spinal cord tumors often have pain. Your health care team can offer treatments that can help. Sometimes complementary treatments can also give a bit of relief from the pain. Treatments that may help include:

  • Acupuncture.
  • Hypnosis.
  • The massage.
  • Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and guided visualization.
  • The relaxation exercises.
  • The spiritual practices, such as prayer.

Discuss the risks and benefits of complementary treatments with your health care team. Some treatments, such as herbal remedies can interfere with medications that you are taking.

Coping and support

Learning that you have a tumor in the spinal cord can be overwhelming. But you can take steps to cope after their diagnosis. Consider trying to:

Find out all you can about your tumor of the spinal cord

Write down your questions, bring them to their appointments, and ask your health care professional to your questions. Take notes, or ask a friend or family member to come along to take notes.

The more that you and your family know and understand about your care, the more confident you'll feel when it is time to make treatment decisions.

Get support

Find someone with whom to share their feelings and concerns. You can have a close friend or family member who is a good listener. Or speak with a member of the clergy or a counselor.

Other people with spinal tumors may be able to offer unique perspectives. Ask your health care team about support groups in your area and online.

Take care of yourself

Choosing a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains whenever possible. Consult with your healthcare professional to see when you can start exercising again. Get enough sleep to feel rested.

Reduce the stress in your life by taking time to relax activities, such as listening to music or writing in a journal.

Preparing for your appointment

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have any symptoms that worry you. If your doctor thinks you might have a condition that affects the spinal cord, the party may refer you to a neurologist. A neurologist is a physician that specializes in diseases that affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves.

If you find that you have a tumor of the spinal cord, you could comply with the surgeons. These may be the surgeons operating on the brain and the spinal cord, called neurosurgeons and surgeons operating on the spine, called spinal surgeons.

Other specialists who care for people with spinal cord tumors include doctors use drugs to treat the cancer, called medical oncologists, and medical uses of radiation to treat the cancer, called radiation oncologists.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

  • Write down any symptoms you have and for how long.
  • The list of your key health information, including all the conditions that you have and the names of the medicines you are taking.
  • Note any family history of brain or spinal cord tumors, especially in a first-degree relative, such as a father or a brother.
  • Have a family member or friend. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all information that you receive during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
  • Write down questions to ask your health care professional.

Questions to ask at your first appointment are:

  • What can be causing my symptoms?
  • There are other possible causes?
  • What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
  • What do you recommend for the following steps in the determination of my diagnosis and the treatment?
  • You should see a specialist?

Questions to ask a specialist include:

  • I have a spinal tumor?
  • What type of tumor you have?
  • How will the tumor to grow with time?
  • What could be the consequences?
  • What are the objectives of my treatment?
  • Am I a candidate for surgery? What are the risks?
  • Am I a candidate for radiation? What are the risks?
  • I'm going to need chemotherapy? What are the risks?
  • What treatment approach do you recommend?
  • If the first treatment does not succeed, what are we going to do next?
  • What is the long-term perspective for my condition?
  • I need a second opinion?

In addition to the questions you have prepared, do you have any more questions that come up during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Be prepared to answer some questions about your symptoms and your health history, such as:

  • What are your symptoms?
  • When did you first notice these symptoms?
  • The symptoms worsened over time?
  • If you have pain, where does the pain seems to start?
  • Does the pain spread to other parts of your body?
  • Have you experienced any weakness or numbness in the legs?
  • Have you had any difficulty walking?
  • Has had problems with bladder or bowel function?
  • Have you been diagnosed with any other medical condition?
  • Are you currently taking any medications?
  • Do you have any family history of spinal tumors?
Symptoms and treatment of tumor of the Spinal cord