Spinal Tumors

What are spinal tumors?

The spine (backbone) is the column of bones (called vertebrae), ligaments, and other tissues that run down the back from the base of the skull. The spine surrounds and protects the spinal cord, which is the bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The spinal cord and brain make up our central nervous system.

Cancers or tumors in either the spine or the spinal cord might be referred to as spinal tumors, but they are different types of tumors.

Bone tumors that affect the spine

Technically, spinal tumors are tumors in or around the bones of the spine.

• Most tumors in the spine are cancers that started in another part of the body (such as the breast, lung, or prostate) and spread to the spine. These are called metastatic or secondary spinal tumors. They are more accurately named and treated based on where they started. For example, breast cancer that has spread and formed a tumor in the spine is called metastatic breast cancer, not spinal cancer, and it's treated like breast cancer (because it’s made up of breast cancer cells).
• Less often, a tumor starts in the spine itself (known as a primary spinal tumor). This is most often a bone cancer such as an osteosarcoma or a chordoma.

Spinal cord tumors

Spinal cord tumors are tumors that grow in or around the spinal cord. These are much less common than true spinal tumors.

• Most tumors in or around the spinal cord are primary spinal cord tumors – tumors that start there. Examples include central nervous system tumors such as ependymomas, astrocytomas, meningiomas, and neurofibromas.
• It’s very uncommon for a cancer to spread from somewhere else into the spinal cord itself. When this happens, it’s often from a tumor in the brain.

Both spinal tumors and spinal cord tumors can affect the spinal cord, which might lead to serious or even life-threatening health problems.