Spine Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment

Advanced Testing for a Precise Diagnosis

Nicholas Szerlip, M.D. (right) discusses treatment options

The spine oncology clinic specializes in diagnosing and treating three main types of spinal cord tumors.

1. Primary tumors that start in bones of the spine

2. Tumors that originate in the dural sac area that surrounds the bones of the spine or the spinal cord itself.

3. Tumors that have metastasized, or spread from other areas of the body

All types of spinal tumors typically cause back pain. Patients with back pain who have already been diagnosed with spinal cancer, particularly breast, kidney, lung, lymphoma, melanoma, or prostate, should receive a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to search for spinal tumors.

Your spine tumor team may also order a specialized computed tomography (CT) scan image, called a myelogram, that uses a special contrast dye. The myelogram offers a precise location the spinal cord tumor so treatment can be targeted without affecting surrounding tissue.

If a spinal cord tumor or tumors are found, a tissue sample may be taken or biopsied and sent to a molecular pathologist to determine if the tumor is benign or malignant, meaning the presence of cancer. The results of those tests, as well as your other detailed medical information, will then be sent to the spine oncology clinic team. Our experts will promptly review the information so treatment can begin as soon as possible.

Leading Personalized Treatments

The spine oncology clinic team includes experts from multiple departments, including:

• Medical oncology
• Medical physics
• Neurosurgery
• Pathology
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Radiation oncology
• Radiology (diagnostic and interventional)

These providers, and any others needed, will design a highly individualized treatment plan based on the grade of tumor, your care needs and health goals. Often, a combination of therapies is used. These treatments may include:

• Chemotherapy: Drug treatment given by pill or intravenously to kill the cancer
• Interventional radiology: Locates and stops tumors from bleeding so chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can be more effective; as well as perform ablation of tumors and add stability to the spine through cementing procedures termed vertebroblasty
• Radiation: Controlled doses of targeted ionizing radiation to decrease pain and destroys tumor cells and stop the tumor growth
• Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT): A form of specialized high-dose radiation that requires just one to five treatments. The treatments often deliver a very high chance of completely eradicating the tumor in the spine with minimal side effects.
• Surgery: Procedures can both repair spinal cord damage caused by the tumor and/or remove lesions.

Surgery is often highly effective, but not always recommended for spinal tumors. In some cases, choosing to have surgery can make other treatments less effective or not possible. That is why it is important to get the perspective of a multidisciplinary team who will explore all treatment options and help you decide the treatment course that will lead to the most successful outcome.

back to top