Actual survival 3–12 months (n=4)—median difference, 7 months.
Some people live active and fulfilling lives with spinal tumors that don't grow or cause symptoms. In some cases, people with metastatic spinal tumors need to continue treatments, including chemotherapy or radiation, to keep the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.
More than 50 out of 100 people (more than 50%) survive for 1 year or more after diagnosis. More than 30 out of 100 people (more than 30%) survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis. These statistics are for relative survival. Relative survival takes into account that some people die of causes other than cancer.
Spinal tumors or growths of any kind can lead to pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis. A spinal tumor can be life-threatening and cause permanent disability. Treatment for a spinal tumor may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or other medications.
The symptoms of spinal cancer may occur very slowly. Other times, they occur quickly, even over a matter of hours or days. Metastatic spinal tumors, which have spread to the spine from another location in the body, such as the prostate or kidneys, often progress quickly.
Cancer in the spine may be fatal, depending on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed, or whether it is metastatic (spread) from other organs. Cancer in the spine occurs when abnormal cells grow out of control in the spinal cord or the bones, tissues, fluid, or nerves that make up the spinal column.
Spinal cord tumors and vertebral tumors can be cancerous or noncancerous, but either form can result in disability and even death.
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.
Common symptoms of a spinal tumor include: Back pain that often radiates to other areas and worsens at night. Pain at the tumor site. Radiating numbness, tingling, or weakness.
There are several types of masses that can be found in the spine: Some are malignant tumors (spinal cancer), which means they can spread to other areas of the body. Some are benign tumors, which means they are not aggressive and don't spread, but it doesn't mean they are harmless.
Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal cord in their lifetime is less than 1%.
The cause of primary spinal tumors is unknown. Some primary spinal tumors occur with certain inherited gene mutations. Spinal tumors can be located: Inside the spinal cord (intramedullary)
Spinal tumors can form anywhere in and along your spinal column, which includes your vertebrae, spinal cord and the tissues surrounding your spinal cord. Most spinal tumors result from cancer metastasis — cancer that has spread from another area of your body to your spine.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
This is the most reliable method for diagnosing spine tumors. MRI can identify spinal cord compression, even if you don't have pain or other neurologic symptoms, and can often distinguish between malignant and benign lesions.
For instance, primary spinal tumors rarely spread beyond the spine and central nervous system. Therefore, while other cancers are usually classified by stages, there are no formal spinal cancer stages.
In addition to pain, metastatic spinal tumors can compress your spinal cord. Spinal cord compression (eg, cervical myelopathy) may cause different neurological symptoms, including weakness, tingling, numbness, paralysis, difficulty walking, and loss of bowel/bladder control.
All extradural tumors are outside the spinal cord. These tumors most often arise in the vertebrae (that is, they arise in the bones). Tumors of the vertebrae are known as vertebral column tumors. They are often metastatic tumors, but may be primary tumors of the bone.
Any type of cancer can travel to the spine, but common tumor spread from the breast, lung and prostate are more likely than others to spread to the spine. Cancers of the bone, such as multiple myeloma, also may spread to the spine. Vertebral tumors are also more common in people who have a prior history of cancer.
Cancers that commonly metastasize to the spine include lung, breast, prostate, melanoma, kidney, and thyroid cancers.
In patients with many spinal metastases, a chance for cure is unfortunately unlikely. However, spinal metastases can be controlled, either temporarily or indefinitely, with treatments such as surgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, fractionated radiation and chemotherapy.
In adults, chordomas are the most common primary malignant spinal tumor. This tumor is found to occur in patients aged 30-70 years. Chordomas usually affect the low back (lumbar spine) and sacrum and when found, the tumor is usually very large. The tumor may involve the nerve roots.
Cancer survival rates by cancer type
The cancers with the lowest five-year survival estimates are mesothelioma (7.2%), pancreatic cancer (7.3%) and brain cancer (12.8%). The highest five-year survival estimates are seen in patients with testicular cancer (97%), melanoma of skin (92.3%) and prostate cancer (88%).