The spinal cord tumours specifically occur when abnormal cells grow and form a mass or a lump. The tumour is known as benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), but both types may be serious and may need urgent treatment.
Types of Spinal Tumors:
There are basically three main types of spinal tumors, which are classified on behalf of their location:
Extradural and Intradural (intradural-intramedullary and intradural-extramedullary): Intradural-intramedullary tumors occurs within the dura and spinal cord parenchyma, although Intradural-extramedullary tumors occurs within the dura but outside the spinal cord parenchyma.
Extradural: Extradural tumors occur outside the dura mater lining and are most commonly known as metastatic.
Intradural: Intradural tumors occur inside the dura mater lining and are further subdivided into intramedullary and extramedullary tumors.
Symptoms of Spinal Tumours:
The most commonly reported symptom of spinal tumors is nocturnal back pain. Other common symptoms may include:
- Muscle weakness
- Sensory loss
- Difficulty walking
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
Tests & Investigations: Tests as well as investigations carried out in a local hospital or local neuroscience centre. Your healthcare provider will refer you required tests accordingly. If you are taking treatment for any other cancer and your healthcare team find that your symptoms are caused by the cancer spreading to your spine they will perform the tests. Your care team may refer you to a neurosurgeon or spinal surgeon, specialises in operations on the spine.
X-rays of your spine may provide the piece of important information. Apart from this, spinal tumours are usually investigated with the help of MRI scan or a CT scan and possibly by a biopsy or a bone scan.
MRI scan: It mainly uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves in order to produce the pictures of the spine that provide more details than an X-ray.
CT scan: This computerised tomography scan is a specifically X-ray that is able to take pictures of your spine from different angles.
Bone scan: This test is used in order to diagnose the tumours or cancer located in the bone. For this test, a very small amount of a radioactive chemical is injected into your vein.
Biopsy: This is basically an operation in order to remove a small sample of a tumour that is sent to a pathologist for examination. You will be prescribed for a biopsy if your healthcare provider is unsure from the results of your scans what type of tumour you have.
Treatments of Spinal cord tumor:
There are 4 major types of treatment options for spinal tumours named surgery, radiotherapy, radiosurgery and chemotherapy.
Surgery: In order to treat non-malignant spinal tumours, surgery is most commonly used but it may also be used for the treatment of some malignant tumours.
Surgery is prescribed in order to remove as much of the tumour as possible without damaging the spinal cord or the nerves surrounding the tumour. Following successful removal of all of a tumour may increase the probability of a good or full recovery. Although it may also reduce the risk of the tumour recurring. Surgery may not be suitable for every individual. Your healthcare provider team will discuss the appropriate treatment options with you.
Radiotherapy: It is basically prescribed in order to treat malignant tumours and tumours that can’t be removed with surgery.
Radiotherapy may also be prescribed following surgery for the treatment of any tumour cells that are difficult to be removed. In case you have had surgery, you will be given time in order to recover before receiving radiotherapy treatment.
Radiotherapy specifically uses X-rays as well as gamma rays in order to damage or destroy the tumour. The treatment also helps by slowing down the growth of tumour and lengthens the time prior to it regrows. Sometimes, the radiotherapy destroyed the tumour completely.
Side Effects of Radiotherapy:
The commonly reported side effects of radiotherapy may include:
- Inflammation of the skin
- Similar to sunburn
- Bone fractures
- Bone marrow suppression
Radiosurgery: Likewise radiotherapy, radiosurgery may be prescribed when surgery is not appropriate or as an additional treatment following surgery. This treatment is basically not a surgical and does not involve any cuts. It acts by targeting a higher dose of radiation at the tumour for damaging and destroying the tumour cells. The treatment takes place by a machine named a linear accelerator (LINAC) or gamma knife.
Chemotherapy: It specifically uses drugs to destroy the tumour cells. There are several types of chemotherapy. A few chemotherapy medicines are consumed by mouth and others are recommended to be given via a drip into a vein.
The drug Temozolomide is recommended as a chemotherapy for treating spinal cord tumor.
Chemotherapy mainly used for patients with secondary (metastatic) spinal tumours.
Side Effects of Chemotherapy: The possible side effects of chemo may vary depending on the specific drug used. They include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- tiredness
- hair loss
- reduced resistance to infection
You should discuss these possible side effects with the specialist providing your treatment.
Steroids: These are prescribed in order to reduce the spine swelling. This relieves pressure on the spinal cord and nerves and reduces the risk of damage to the spinal cord. Steroids are recommended to be given with radiotherapy or surgery. You need to keep taking steroids for a while following your radiotherapy or surgery.
Dexamethasone is one of the most widely used steroid for the spinal cord tumor.
Steroids may be responsible for causing side effects. Signs and symptoms may include:
- increased appetite
- weight gain
- indigestion
- acne
- stretch marks
- muscle weakness
- diabetes
- sleep disturbance
- feeling restless or agitated
Pain-relief Medications: For people with spinal tumours, pain-relief drugs are used mainly to control back or neck pain. They might be combined with other drugs to control nausea and vomiting. If a morphine-based drug is used it might be combined with a drug to reduce the risk of constipation, which can be a side effect.
Apart from all these, there are some other type of treatment options exists, which are as follows:
- Orthotics
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Bladder and bowel management
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