Spine Research

Editorial

Symptoms of spinal cancer and spinal tumors may vary depending on the tumor type and location. They may include but are not limited to: Back pain and neck pain, which are the most common symptoms of spinal tumors. The pain can be related to the tumor pressing on the nerves or the spinal cord.Patients often have unrelenting pain, as well as night pain, that is not relieved by rest or traditional measures. Patients may have neck stiffness and decreased range-of-motion. Patients may have weakness or numbness if the tumor is advanced and causing neurologic compression or irritation. Primary (non-metastatic) spinal tumors may be removed through complete en bloc resection for a possible cure. In patients with metastatic tumors, treatment is primarily palliative, with the goal of restoring or preserving neurological function, stabilizing the spine and alleviating pain.

Primary spinal tumors are those that originate in the spine. They are relatively rare, typically benign (noncancerous) and represent a small percentage of spinal tumors. Malignant tumors may also originate in the spine, although more often they spread to the spine from elsewhere in the body. There are quite a few issues to cause your spine to feel bruised, including: Back injuries are among the most common causes of spinal pain or tenderness. Falls, car accidents, or sports injuries can put severe stress on your spine, causing it to move out of alignment. While some spinal tumors have no symptoms, most eventually lead to back pain and could also cause neurological deficits, such as numbness or weakness. Spinal tumor symptoms can vary greatly based on where the tumor is located and whether or not it is cancerous. 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. 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 cells typically reach the spine via the bloodstream, after which they enter the bone marrow and begin to multiply. Tumors within the vertebrae can weaken the bone, eventually causing them to fracture. A fracture can cause severe pain, spinal instability, and seriously affect the patient's quality of life.

People with cancer might describe it as feeling very weak, listless, drained, or “washed out” that may decrease for a while but then comes back. Some may feel too tired to eat, walk to the bathroom, or even use the TV remote. It can be hard to think or move. Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn't get better with rest. Skin changes such as a lump that bleeds or turns scaly, a new mole or a change in a mole, a sore that does not heal, or a yellowish color to the skin or eyes.