Our Multidisciplinary Brain and Spine Tumor Clinic offers a comprehensive, specialized program for the treatment of benign malignant spinal tumors. When you are treated here, you benefit from the knowledge and experience of some of the region’s most renowned experts.
Our physicians approach spinal tumor care in specialized teams, bringing together incredible skill to give you the highest level of customized care. This personalized care and our partnership with you focus on the most advanced treatments with the least impact on your body.
Your spinal tumor treatment team may include neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, neuro-oncologists, neuropathologists and nurse practitioners. They collaborate and communicate every step of the way. They are joined by a support staff trained in helping patients with spinal tumors.
Treatment for spinal tumors often includes surgery, and surgical skill is key to successful outcomes. Our surgeons have a high level of experience and expertise that can make a real difference in your treatment and recovery, and our physicians have at their fingertips the latest technology and techniques to treat spinal tumors.
We are constantly researching newer, more effective and safer surgical and medical approaches for spinal tumors. Numerous clinical trials of new treatments are available for spinal tumors.
Facts
More than 25,000 malignant spinal tumors are diagnosed in the United States each year, although the chances of developing a cancerous tumor is less than 1%.
Spinal tumors may begin in the neck or back and can begin in nerve cells, bones or soft tissues or muscles.
Although not all spinal tumors are cancerous, all spinal tumors can be dangerous as they can press against the spine, causing serious problems.
Risk Factors
Certain genetic disorders may increase your risk of brain or spinal tumors, including:
- Neurofibromatosis type 2
- Von Hippel-Lindau disease
- Immune system disorders
Symptoms
Symptoms of spinal tumors vary from person to person, and by the type and location of the tumor. They are caused by pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.
If a spinal tumor presses on the spinal cord it may cause:
- Back pain that gets worse with time, is not related to activity and is worse when you lie down
- Weakness that gets worse with time
- Loss of feeling in certain areas of the body
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Erectile dysfunction
If a spinal tumor presses against spinal nerve roots it can cause:
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
If pressure continues, muscles may waste away. Walking may become difficult.
These symptoms do not always mean you have a spinal tumor. However, it is important to discuss any symptoms with your doctor, since they may signal other health problems.
Diagnosis
Blood tests, imaging exams and even surgical procedures are used to check for cancer.
At UofL Health - Brown Cancer Center, specially trained doctors called neuropathologists find and diagnose spinal tumors. We have the most modern and accurate equipment available to pinpoint spinal tumors and find out exactly the extent of the disease.
Getting an accurate diagnosis for a spinal tumor is very important. It helps your doctor plan your care and may help increase the chance of successful treatment.
If you have symptoms that may signal a spinal tumor, your doctor will examine you and ask you questions about your health, your lifestyle and your family medical history.
One or more of the following tests may be used to find out if you have a spinal tumor and if it has spread. These tests also may be used to find out if treatment is working.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): This is the best way to look at all the parts of the spinal cord and spine. CT (computed tomography) scans also may be used.
Biopsy: A biopsy usually is needed to diagnose the type of spinal tumor, especially primary spine cancer. A biopsy may not be needed for secondary spine cancer. Often a biopsy requires surgery. Sometimes it can be done with fine-needle aspiration (FNA).
Treatment
Customized Care
We know that you have the highest chance for successful treatment when your spinal tumor care is designed especially for your specific situation. That’s why we customize your therapy to include the most advanced treatments with the least impact on your body.
Spinal tumor care often requires complex and delicate surgery. The goal is to remove as much of the tumor as possible, while not disturbing important parts of the spine and surrounding structures. This requires a high degree of skill.
Our Treatments
If you are diagnosed with spine cancer, your doctor will discuss the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including the type and location of the tumor and your general health.
One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat the tumor or help relieve symptoms.
Corticosteroids: These drugs (such as dexamethasone) may be given to reduce swelling if a spinal tumor is pressing against the spinal cord. These tumors are treated as soon as possible, often with surgery.
Surgery: Some spinal tumors can be removed by surgery. If the entire tumor cannot be removed, radiation therapy may be given after surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
Like all surgeries, spinal tumor surgery is most successful when performed by a specialist with a great deal of experience in the particular procedure. Our spine surgeons are among the most skilled and recognized in the world. They perform a large number of surgeries for spinal tumors each year, using the least-invasive and most advanced techniques. If surgery is not possible or cannot remove the entire spinal tumor, we often are able to treat the tumor using other leading-edge treatments.
Radiation therapy may be given alone or after surgery to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. Cyberknife is an advanced form of treatment that focuses radiation precisely on the spinal tumor, causing less impact to healthy tissue. The CyberKnife’s robotic arm will position itself around your body, delivering radiation directly to your tumor with pinpoint precision. Depending on your diagnosis and the level of your tumor’s complexity, treatment involves one to five outpatient sessions, each lasting about 30-60 minutes.
Chemotherapy: We offer the most up-to-date and advanced chemotherapy options for spinal tumors. These drugs may be taken orally or by injection. They may be given alone or with other treatments.
Targeted therapies: These newer agents are used to help fight some types of spinal tumors. Targeted therapies attack cancer cells by using small molecules to block pathways that cells use to survive and multiply.
Clinical Trials
We participate in many clinical trials for spinal tumors. Clinical trials help researchers learn how to treat cancer and improve the future of cancer treatment. These trials may be your best option for treatment.
