Symptoms and Treatment of Spinal Tumor in India

Spine Tumor Removal Surgery in India

What is Spinal tumor?

A spinal tumor is a development of unwanted cells in or around the spinal cord. These tumors can be benign i.e. non-cancerous or they may be malignant i.e. cancerous. Spinal tumors can occur inside the cord or in the membranes (meninges) covering the spinal cord or between the meninges and bones of the spine. It may also extend to the blood vessels, bones of the spine, nerve roots or spinal cord cells. The presence of spinal tumours can be determined with the help of a biopsy or through a MRI or CT scan. Following are different types of Spinal tumours based on there cancerous or non-cancerous behavior.

• Benign bone tumors are of following types:
• Giant Cell Tumor: Usually found in the sacrum
• Hemangioma: Usually found in the thoracic spine
• Osteoid Osteoma: Usually found to affect the lumbar spine's posterior spinal column
• Osteoblastoma: Usually found to affect the spine's posterior spinal column
• Malignant bone tumors are classified as follows:
• Chordoma: Affects the sacrum and coccyx in the midline
• Osteosarcoma: affect the anterior vertebral body and it may also invade the Posterior spinal elements.
• Malignant cartilage tumor:
• Chondrosarcoma: Found primarily in the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine
• Malignant plasma cell tumors:
• Plasmacytoma is cancer of the white blood cells (plasma cells) which effects the thoracic spine and may also involve the spinal cord ot the nerve roots.
• Lymphomas are cancer of the body's lymphatic system that may spread to the spine .Usually the anterior part (front) of the spinal column is affected
• Ewing's Sarcoma: It affects the Sacrum or the nerves.

What are the Symptoms of Spinal Tumor?

Tumor may cause generalized symptoms in the body (like persistent low energy levels, unexplainable weight loss, lump formation, enlargement of lymph nodes, malaise, irregularities of menstruation in females etc) as well as symptoms pertaining to the affected organ in the body. In case of spinal tumor the patient may present with any of the following:

• Back pain, often radiating to other parts of the body and worse at night
• Loss of sensation or muscle weakness, especially in the legs
• Difficulty walking, sometimes leading to falls
• Paralysis may occur in varying degrees and in different parts of the body, depending on which nerves are compressed.
• Scoliosis or other spinal deformity resulting from a large, but non cancerous tumor
• Erosion and Destruction of vertebral body

Objective of Spinal Tumor Surgery

The primary objective of the surgery is to reduce the pain caused by the spinal tumor, to restore and preserve neurological function and provide spinal stability. Spinal Tumor surgery is generally indicated in case there is a localized tumor which can be removed with minimum damage to nerve and spinal cord, or there is persistent neurological deficit and pain which is unresponsive to non operative treatment, or there is vertebral bone destruction affecting spinal stability. Surgery may include resection (partial removal) or excision (complete removal) of tumor. When the tumor is removed (partially or completely) pain and neurologic problems may clear up.

Spinal Tumor Removal Surgery

Advanced medical technology has enabled surgeons to remove spinal tumors that were previously inaccessible due to potential damage and death caused by spinal surgery. Today, neurosurgeons are able to use laser-assisted and high-powered microscopes in a field called microsurgery.

Using such technology, doctors are now able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy tissue as well as to view microscopic blood vessels and nerves within the operating field. Throughout the spinal surgery procedure, doctors can test the function of nerves using electrodes that helps to prevent nerve damage. Advancements in spinal surgery technologies also employ the use of sound waves that effectively disintegrate tumors. Special suctioning tools remove the fragments.

Surgery : This is often the first step in treating tumors that can be removed with an acceptable risk of nerve damage.

Newer techniques and instruments allow neurosurgeons to reach tumors that were once inaccessible. The high-powered microscopes used in microsurgery make it easier to distinguish tumors from healthy tissue. Doctors also can test different nerves during surgery with electrodes, thus minimizing nerve damage. In some instances, they may use sound waves to break up tumors and remove the remaining fragments.

Even with advances in treatment, not all tumors can be removed completely. Surgical removal is the best option for many intramedullary and intradural-extramedullary tumors, yet large ependymomas at the end of the spine may be impossible to extricate from the many nerves in this area. Although noncancerous tumors in the vertebrae can usually be completely removed, metastatic tumors are less likely to be operable. When a tumor has spread to the spine, radiation alone is usually the treatment of choice. However, research has found that surgery combined with radiation may be more effective at preventing loss of nerve function in people who are healthy enough to tolerate an operation and who have tumors that have spread from an unknown location, have some evidence of nerve injury, have tumors resistant to radiation or have recurrent tumors that were previously irradiated.

Recovery from spinal surgery may take weeks or months, depending on the procedure, and you may experience a temporary loss of sensation or other complications, including bleeding and damage to nerve tissue.

Recovery post Spinal Tumor Surgery

Recovery post Spinal Tumor surgery depends on patient’s health before surgery. The patient’s care is monitored by periodical office visits and re-evaluation by the treating physician. This is important because some tumors, benign or malignant, may reoccur. Usually when the treatment period has ended, the symptoms clear up. Analgesics are given to control post-operative pain and cancer pain. Cancer pain may be difficult to control (e.g. ‘break through pain’). A pain management specialist may provide assistance if conventional drugs (e.g. pill, skin patch) do not provide relief. Any surgery, radiation treatment or chemotherapy can drain the patient nutritionally. Therefore, a proper diet is important to regain strength, lost weight, and a measure of health. A professional nutritionist can provide guidance. Depending on the extent of the surgery and the patient’s medical status, a course of physical therapy may be prescribed. Through exercise and modalities the patient can build strength, endurance and flexibility. 

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