Spinal Tumour

WHAT IS A SPINAL TUMOUR?

• A tumour is an abnormal growth of cells.
• Spinal tumours can be-
  • Vertebral tumours –affecting the bones of spinal column
  • Spinal cord tumours—affecting the nerves and cord.
• If cells in the spine grow and multiply abnormally to cause a tumour, this is called a primary tumour.
• If abnormal cells have spread to the spine from a tumour in another part of the body, this is called a secondary tumour or metastasis.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPINAL TUMOURS AND WHERE DO THEY OCCUR?

Non-malignant spinal tumours

Low grade or slow growing spinal tumours can grow but they do not spread to other parts of the body. However, these tumours can grow to a considerable size, causing damage by putting pressure on the tissue around them in the spine.

Malignant spinal tumours

High grade or rapidly growing tumours are called malignant. They are cancerous. They do spread and destroy the tissue surrounding them.
The most common spinal tumours are malignant metastases that have spread to the spine from malignant primary tumours in other parts of the body such as the prostate, breasts, lungs, kidneys and bowel.

Procedures Done for them are-

1. Transpedicular Biopsy
2. Vertebroplasty
3. Decompressive laminectomy ± Tumor excision
4. Piecemeal or enbloc tumour excision and complex spinal reconstruction

Dr. Pravin decides the line of treatment as per international guidelines after thorough clinical and imaging reports evaluation.