Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 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.
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.
Shock-like pain could radiate into the chest, abdomen, leg(s), or arm(s). Feels worse at night than during the day. Spinal tumor pain typically does not diminish with rest or activity avoidance, and it may intensify at night, causing disturbed sleep.
Most spinal cancer occurs inside the spinal column and usually doesn't affect the spinal cord. Some of the cancers that may involve the spine include: Osteosarcoma: a type of bone cancer that may originate in the spine but is more common in the thigh and shin bones.
Primary spinal tumors are rare but are more likely to occur in adults between the ages of 65 and 74 and in children between the ages of 10 and 16.
Diagnosing a Spinal Tumor
Imaging occurs in a couple of different ways. These include: X-Rays: Although x-rays aren't the most reliable way to diagnose tumors, they provide an image of the bones in the spine. This can help to rule out fractures and some infections.
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.
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).
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.
You can feel pain in your cervical (neck), thoracic (middle of the back), or lumbar spine (lower back). Tumors can also cause pain, numbness, or weakness in your arms or legs by pressing on the nerves of your spinal cord.
Malignant Spinal Column Tumors. Malignant spinal tumors are less common than benign spinal tumors, forming only 20% of total primary spinal tumors. Although these tumors are rare, they may present with local pain, symptoms of nerve root compression, neurological deficits, or deformity.
Pain at the site of the tumor due to tumor growth. Back pain, often radiating to other parts of your body. Back pain that's worse at night. Loss of sensation or muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs.
The most common of these types of tumors develop in the spinal cord's arachnoid membrane (meningiomas), in the nerve roots that extend out from the spinal cord (schwannomas and neurofibromas), or at the spinal cord base (filum terminale ependymomas).
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.
Computed tomography (CT)
These scans use multiple X-rays to determine your tumor's size and location and assess the quality of the bones in your spine. This helps determine the tumor's stage (seriousness) and whether it's metastasized (spread).
Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord in their lifetime is less than 1%.
Actual survival 3–12 months (n=4)—median difference, 7 months.
Symptoms of peripheral nerve tumors vary depending on where the tumors are located and the tissues affected. They include: Swelling or a lump under the skin. Pain, tingling or numbness.
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. This can be challenging for you and your loved ones.
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%.
Imaging is used not only for local staging but also to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions. MRI is the preferred imaging modality for the evaluation of soft-tissue masses in clinical practice.
Tumor growth can result in a number of biological responses, such as local inflammation or stretching of the anatomical structures around the vertebrae. These biological sources of pain are often described as a deep ache that tends to be worse at night, even to the point of disrupting sleep.
By capturing images of bones on a computer screen or film, a nuclear medicine bone scan may reveal if spinal cancer has spread to the bone, as well as the location of the cancer.
Spinal cancer risk factors are largely unknown. In general, lifestyle-related factors such as nutrition, exercise, body weight and tobacco use have been found to play roles in the development of many forms of cancer, including those that originate in or metastasize to the spine.