Spinal tumors can affect the brain in several ways. Growth in the spinal canal can block the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF. This can raise the pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure), which can harm the brain.
Symptoms of brain tumors include headaches, seizures, nausea and vomiting, poor vision or hearing, changes in behavior, unclear thinking, and unsteadiness. Spinal cord tumor symptoms include pain, numbness, and paralysis.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)
This genetic disorder, also known as von Recklinghausen disease, is the most common syndrome linked to brain or spinal cord tumors.
Living with a rare brain or spine tumor can impact all aspects of your life. Physical or thinking and memory changes can be caused by the tumor, removal of the tumor, or treatment and can affect your quality of life.
Hydrocephalus and increased intracranial pressure are caused when a tumor blocks the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that bathes the brain and spinal cord. This can cause headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
A vertebral tumor can affect neurological function by pushing on the spinal cord or nerve roots nearby. As these tumors grow within the bone, they may also cause pain, vertebral fractures or spinal instability. Whether cancerous or not, a vertebral tumor can be life-threatening and cause permanent disability.
Actual survival 3–12 months (n=4)—median difference, 7 months.
Back pain is a common early symptom of spinal tumors. Pain may also spread beyond your back to your hips, legs, feet or arms and may worsen over time — even with treatment. Spinal tumors progress at different rates depending on the type of tumor.
MRI is usually the preferred test to diagnose tumors of the spinal cord and surrounding tissues. A contrast agent that helps highlight certain tissues and structures may be injected into a vein in your hand or forearm during the test.
Fatigue can be caused by a brain or spine tumor, medications used to treat side effects, and is the most common side effect of cancer treatment.
Spinal epidural metastases are the most common type of spinal tumor. They occur in up to 10% of cancer patients. Metastatic spinal tumors typically take hold in the bony spine and then grow to cause compression of the neural elements (spinal cord and nerve roots).
Any cancer can spread to the brain, but the types most likely to cause brain metastases are lung, breast, colon, kidney and melanoma. Brain metastases may form one tumor or many tumors in the brain.
Pseudotumor cerebri literally means "false brain tumor." It is likely due to high pressure within the skull caused by the buildup or poor absorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The disorder is most common in women between the ages of 20 and 50.
Difficulty thinking, speaking, or finding words. Changes in personality or behavior. Weakness, numbness, or loss of movement in one part or one side of the body. Difficulty with balance or dizziness.
The most noticeable sign of spinal cancer is pain. Pain may come from the tumor's presence in the spinal column, pushing on sensitive nerve endings or causing spinal instability. When the spine is not lined up properly, other physically notable symptoms may result (e.g., changes in posture, Kyphosis or hunchback).
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the average five-year survival rate for patients with a malignant brain or spinal tumor is 36%. The 10-year survival rate is about 31%.
Primary tumors often progress slowly over weeks to years. Tumors in the spinal cord usually cause symptoms, sometimes over large portions of the body. Tumors outside the spinal cord may grow for a long time before causing nerve damage.
Blood tests are not used to diagnose brain or spinal cord tumours. However, they are routinely done to provide a baseline before any planned treatment. They can provide helpful information about your general health, how other organs are functioning, other medical conditions and the possible risks of treatment.
Certain blood tests help your doctor determine if pain and other symptoms are caused by an infection or possibly a spinal tumor. Certain blood tests help your doctor determine if pain and other symptoms are caused by an infection or possibly a spinal tumor.
“Spinal cord tumors usually grow slowly,” adds Neil Malhotra, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Penn Medicine. “Many patients will have mixed sets of symptoms.” This can lengthen the diagnosis process as well.
They are often located in the epidural space, which is the area surrounding the outer – dura – membrane that protects the spinal cord. Intradural tumors form inside the dura and may or may not involve the spinal cord. Intramedullary tumors are intradural tumors that grow inside the spinal cord.
Spinal tumors can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). If the tumor continues to grow, it can cause damage to different tissues in your spinal column. Tumors that first develop on your spine or spinal cord are called primary spinal tumors.
Spinal cord tumors and vertebral tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous, but either form can result in disability and even death.
If treatment is needed, these tumors can usually be cured if they can be removed completely with surgery. Radiation therapy may be used along with, or instead of, surgery for tumors that can't be removed completely.
Most symptomatic spinal cord tumors require surgical removal which can typically be performed with small incisions on the back or neck and little bony disruption. Depending on the type of tumor, further treatment may be indicated, including radiation or chemotherapy.