What is spinal cord tumor or spinal cord cancer and what is its treatment?

Spinal tumor refers to the abnormal growth of cells that occurs in the spinal canal or in the bones of the spine.. Most spinal tumors develop after cancer metastasizes from other parts of the body.. This type of cancer spreads to the spine from another part of the body. What is meant by spinal tumor?.. Spinal tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in or around the spinal cord and spine.. The spine is made up of flexible bone that protects the spinal cord.. It starts from the base of the skull and ends at the coccyx, which is part of the pelvis. Spinal cord is a cylindrical structure that extends from the brain stem or the bottom of the brain, the center of the spine to the waist.. This part contains nerves as well as cells that transmit messages from the brain to other parts of the body. There is a possibility of developing spinal cord tumors in such parts: - Intraspinal cord (intramedullary) - in the vertebrae of the spine - in the meningeal tissue that covers the spinal cord or meninges (in dura-extramedullary) Tumors are divided into two categories: benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous). If the tumor continues to grow, there is a possibility of damage to other tissues of the spine. Metastatic or secondary tumors in the spine are caused by the spread of cancer from another part of the body to the spine. The metastatic type of this disease is much more common than primary tumors of the spine. For more information, read the article Pains of cancer patients. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of spinal cord cancer or spinal tumor usually appear gradually and include the following: - Pain in the back or neck that gets worse over time... - Numbness or tingling in the legs or hands... - Muscle weakness and difficulty walking... - Incontinence of urine or stool... - Loss of balance and control of limbs.... Pains that get worse at night or do not respond to conventional drugs may be the first symptom of a tumor. Among the types of this disease, the following can be mentioned: - Spinal tumor is located along the spine such as the back, chest, cervix and sacrum. - The tumor is located in the spine (extramedullary, intradural, intramedullary or extradural). - Primary tumor of the spinal cord that started from the spine or occurred following cancer metastasis in other parts of the body such as secondary tumor. - the other case is benign or non-cancerous and malignant or cancerous. Related content: What is the nerve and muscle band? Different regions of the spine that can cause tumors are as follows: - neck area - chest from the upper part to the middle of the back - waist back - sacrum, the lower part of the spine There is a possibility of spinal cord tumor in any of these mentioned areas, the chest and back areas are the most common. Type of tumor based on location in the spine Experts describe spinal tumors based on where they form in the spine. ### Intradural-extramedullary tumor This type is placed inside the thin covering of the spinal cord or dura.. but it is located outside the spinal cord.... About 40% of all spinal tumors are formed in this area. ### Intramedullary tumor This case grows inside the spinal cord and accounts for about 5% of spinal cord tumors. ### extradural tumor This type is also located outside the hard or thin covering around the spinal cord and includes the vertebrae of the spine.... In fact, it can be said that half of spine tumors are located in this area. familiarity with certain types of spinal tumors Since the spine has a complex structure, it is composed of several types of cells and tissues. There are different types of spinal cord tumors, which include the following: ### Astrocytoma This tumor involves the cells inside the spinal cord... Different types of them are divided into benign and malignant. ### Chordoma These tumors are malignant and rare and occur in the spine and skull. They usually occur at the base of the spine or the sacrum and coccyx. Related content: Coccyx pain ### Epandimona This tumor usually forms in the lining of the spinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord. ### Glioblastoma This is a malignant and aggressive tumor that consists of cells called astrocytes. ### Hemangioblastoma This type includes a blood vessel connected to the central nervous system such as the brain and spinal cord. ### meningioma This tumor covers the spinal cord and brain and is usually benign....sometimes it grows so large that it creates a life-threatening condition. ### Nurofibroma This type of spinal tumor is benign and grows on the nerves of the body, including the spinal nerves... This model is usually caused by a genetic disorder. Read more: Spinal pain pump ### Osteosarcoma This is a type of bone cancer that originates from the spine.. but it is mostly seen in the leg and thigh bones. ### Shawanuma This type of tumor develops around the spinal cord, cranial nerves and peripheral nervous system.... This is usually benign and rarely leads to cancer. ### Spinal hemangioma It is formed from the tissue of blood vessels inside the spine and is known as the most common primary tumor of the spine and is usually a benign type. What type of cancer metastasizes to the spine? As we said, sometimes this disease develops after other cancers, including the following: ### Lung cancer Lung cancer is the most common case that causes metastasis in the spine. ### breast cancer This case is also very common in women and usually spreads to the spine. Other items are as follows: - Leukemia (blood cancer) - prostate cancer - Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system) - sarcoma (connective tissue cancer) - Melanoma (skin cancer) - prostate cancer - Gastrointestinal tract cancer - kidney cancer - Thyroid cancer These cases that we have mentioned for you usually metastasize to the bone part of the spine. What methods are there for diagnosis? Depending on the symptoms, the doctor usually prescribes imaging tests such as an MRI of the spinal cord or a CT scan of the spine. In some cases, a biopsy is used to diagnose the exact type of tumor. Is there a treatment for a spinal cord tumor? Yes, in many cases the spinal cord tumor is treated, the type of treatment depends on the type, location and size of the tumor... If the tumor is benign (such as meningioma or schwannoma of the spinal cord), it can usually be removed with complete surgery and the patient returns to normal life after physical therapy... ### Treatment methods Spinal cord tumor treatment depends on the type and location of the tumor. The most common methods are: - Surgery: to remove a tumor or reduce pressure on the spinal cord... - Radiotherapy: radiation therapy is used to destroy cancer cells... - Chemotherapy: especially in malignant or spread tumors... - Physiotherapy and rehabilitation: after surgery or treatment to restore movement power.... In many cases, a benign spinal cord tumor is completely treated with surgery and the patient returns to his normal state. Benign tumors have a very high chance of recovery.