Spinal Tumour

A spinal tumour refers to an unusual cluster of cells that grows either in or around your spinal cord or spinal column. Your spinal cord sits at the centre of your spine as a tube-like structure. It stretches from the bottom part of your brain, called the brainstem, down to your lower back. It holds nerve groups and cells. These help send signals between your brain and body. The spinal tumours can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) in nature. Due to their proximity to the spinal cord and nerves, spinal tumours can affect neurological functions a lot. Spinal tumours can appear in several areas:

• Inside the spinal cord itself (called intramedullary).
• In the tissue layers covering the spinal cord (called intradural-extramedullary).
• Between the spinal covering tissues and spinal bones (called extradural).
• Inside the spinal bones, or vertebrae (bony vertebrae).

What are the Different Types of Spinal Tumours? Primary spinal tumours:

• Tumours that begin in the spine or spinal cord
• They stay localised to these areas Secondary or metastatic spinal tumours:
• Tumours that spread from cancer in other parts of your body to the spine.
• Compared to primary ones, metastatic spinal tumours happen far more often.

What are the symptoms of Spinal Tumours? Some spinal tumours show no symptoms because they stay small and don’t press against nearby tissues. But as these tumours grow larger, they often lead to noticeable issues and discomfort. Back pain: Pain linked to a spinal tumour often:

• Does not connect to an injury, stress, or physical effort but may worsen with strain from actions like sneezing, coughing, or exercising.
• Feels deep and achy.
• Begins and intensifies over time.
• Lingers at night and can even disturb sleep.
• Grows severe and disruptive even when resting.
• Shows no improvement with usual treatments or painkillers.

Additional symptoms of spinal tumours include:

• You may feel numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in your arms, legs, or chest.
• Weakness can appear in the muscles of your arms, legs, or chest.
• Muscle twitches or spasms might occur.
• Your back or neck might feel stiff.
• You could lose control of your bladder or bowels, leading to urinary or bowel incontinence.
• Walking might become harder, leading to falls.
• A large or harmful tumour could cause scoliosis or other abnormalities in the spine. Paralysis can happen at different levels and in various parts of the body based on which nerves the tumour is pressing against.

What are the Causes of Spinal Tumours? Causes of primary spinal tumours: Experts don’t know what triggers most primary spinal tumours. Some might result from contact with substances that cause cancer. People with weaker immune systems are more likely to have spinal cord lymphomas, which are cancers that affect specific immune cells. Scientists also suspect a genetic role, as spinal tumours can sometimes appear in families. Causes of secondary spinal tumours: Secondary spinal tumours, also called metastatic tumours, develop when cancer starts in another part of your body and spreads to the spine.

How to Diagnose Spinal Tumours? Doctors ask about your medical history and symptoms. They do a neurological exam to check for specific signs such as:

• Spine tenderness.
• Trouble feeling pain or sensing temperature changes.
• Reflexes that don’t seem normal.
• Weak muscles. Doctors also request tests to confirm or rule out the presence of a tumour. Imaging techniques: Tests like Spine X-rays, MRI, or a CT scan help doctors examine the spine. Biopsy: To check if it is cancerous or non-cancerous. Bone scan: Using radioactive material, doctors track its movement to find unusual spots on your spine. Blood tests: To check levels of calcium or alkaline phosphatase.

What is the treatment of Spinal Tumours? Doctors choose treatments for spinal tumours based on the tumour type. Ways to treat metastatic (secondary) spinal tumours Your medical team might combine different methods to address metastatic spinal tumours. These may include:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Stereotactic radiosurgery
• Sometimes Surgery

Approaches to Treat Primary Spinal Tumors Certain primary spinal tumours might be taken out using an en-bloc resection, which involves removing the entire tumour to try to cure the condition. However, some other tumours, the ones that develop within the spinal cord, cannot be removed without causing serious nerve damage. If you have a malignant spinal tumour, you will need cancer treatments like the ones mentioned earlier.