A spinal tumour is a growth that appears either inside the spinal column's bones or in the spinal canal. A spinal tumour that starts inside the spinal cord or the protective covering of the spinal cord is referred to as a spinal cord tumour or an intradural tumour.
Primary spinal tumours are tumours that first appear on your spine or spinal cord. Metastatic or secondary spinal tumours are the result of cancer migrating to your spine from another part of your body. Compared to primary spinal tumours, metastatic spinal tumours are substantially more prevalent.
Both benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) spinal tumours commonly present with back pain. Because spinal tumours are more prone to form in the middle or lower back, pain from these conditions is more frequent.
Most spine tumours have unknown causes, according to scientists. Some of them might be brought on by contact with substances or chemicals that cause cancer. People with weakened immunity are more likely to develop spinal cord lymphomas, malignancies that impact specific immune cells. Scientists believe there is probably a hereditary component to spinal tumours because they can occasionally run in families.
A spinal cord tumor is diagnosed using imaging tests like spine X-rays, MRI, CT scan, etc. the presence of tumor is confirmed by a biopsy of the tumor tissue, bone scan, and by blood tests.
The location, size, and type of the tumour all affect the course of the treatment for spinal tumours. Treatment for metastatic spinal tumours has the following objectives:
When a spinal tumour is causing symptoms, the primary therapeutic objective is to remove the tumour totally.
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and surgery are the treatment options for a spinal cord tumor.