Spinal Cord Tumor Treatment

What Are The Treatment Methods For Spinal Cord Tumors?

After the necessary diagnostic procedures for spinal cord and spinal tumors are completed, the location and probable type of the tumor are identified, and appropriate treatment options are determined. Depending on the location and type of the tumor, treatment methods such as surgical intervention, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy may be used alone or in combination.

What Is A Spinal Cord Tumor And What Are The Treatment Methods?

As in the brain, tumors can also occur in the spinal cord. The spinal cord provides communication between the brain and the other organs of our body. Like any disease, a spinal cord tumor can also be treated with techniques such as radiosurgery and microsurgery when diagnosed early. The spinal cord, which establishes the connection between the brain and organs through nerves, is located within a thick membrane just like the brain. Beginning at the skull and extending down to the lower back, the spinal cord is located within a protected space between the vertebrae and functions as an electrical connection. It not only transmits commands from the brain to the arms, legs, and other organs, but also carries information coming from other organs to the brain. Accordingly, any tumor occurring in the spinal cord may disrupt all this information traffic and lead to a wide range of complications. Therefore, the question of what a spinal cord tumor is can most simply be defined as a mass appearing on the spinal cord that causes disruption or loss of connection between the brain and organs.

As with other tumor types, spinal cord tumors are divided into benign and malignant tumors, and they have some common symptoms.

Symptoms Of A Spinal Cord Tumor

As the tumor grows, back pain occurs due to the pressure formed on the spinal cord. As we mentioned, the spinal cord provides the connection between the brain and our organs, and this connection is established through the nerves located there. Depending on where the tumor appears and which nerve it compresses, communication between the brain and that organ is affected, and therefore symptoms may vary. However, generally speaking;

• Tingling
• Numbness
• A sensation of coldness in the body
• Muscle weakness that may occur in any of the arm or leg extremities
• Difficulty walking
• Weakness in bladder or bowel control and associated urinary and stool incontinence
• Curvature appearing in the spine

Depending on the location and size of the pressure caused by the tumor, it is possible to speak of symptoms ranging all the way to signs of complete or partial paralysis.

Diagnosis Of A Spinal Cord Tumor

During the diagnosis stage, many surgeons specialized in different branches will carry out examinations. During the examination initiated by the orthopedics specialist, additional tests from a neurosurgeon and neurologist are likely to be requested. Diagnosis begins with imaging of the entire spine, called direct radiography, and, if necessary, an MRI of the smaller area where the pain is felt. The most accurate diagnosis can be made with computed tomography, myelography examinations, and magnetic resonance techniques. By taking cerebrospinal fluid with a needle and examining it, the increased protein density in the fluid helps in diagnosing the tumor. Severe lower back and back pain should definitely be taken seriously for the diagnostic process to begin and for the diagnosis to be made. This pain may become severe enough to wake patients from sleep at night. If you experience lower back and back pain of this kind, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist doctor.

Treatment Of A Spinal Cord Tumor

The treatment of a spinal cord tumor varies depending on the location where the tumor appears and the tumor type. Moreover, the treatment method to be applied is determined by specialists depending on the delay experienced in the diagnosis of the tumor. The importance of early treatment becomes evident here as well, as in every disease. While diseases diagnosed early can be eliminated more easily, diseases whose treatment is delayed may have to be treated with long surgical operations, and different complications that may develop accordingly can open the door to new diseases. As can be seen below, there are different answers to the question of how a spinal cord tumor is treated.

Surgical operation: The tumor is removed by surgical operation. Treatment of benign intradural tumors developing outside the spinal cord is carried out with this method. Surgery for tumors occurring within the spinal cord may fail, and at best, the operation may result in paralysis. In many cases that ended in disappointment, promising results have been achieved with the development of microsurgical methods.

Radiation therapy (radiotherapy): This method, which can be used after surgery or alone, aims both to reduce pain and to control the primary tumor or the source of spread. Sometimes it is recommended by specialists together with drug therapy, and treatment of the spinal cord tumor is aimed without the need for surgical intervention.

Drug therapy (chemotherapy): After the surgical and radiation therapy process, or depending on the condition of the spinal cord tumor, drug therapy may be recommended by the specialist at the first stage. The choice of drugs may vary depending on the type of tumor or the likelihood of spread.

Physical therapy: After surgical treatment, with the method called multidisciplinary teamwork, meaning teamwork by doctors accompanied by physiotherapists, physical therapy is applied at intervals so that the patient can regain previous muscle strength and continue life as before after the spinal cord tumor is removed. Thanks to exercises lasting 3 or 6 months, the patient can regain former muscle strength.

Above all, the successful start of the treatment process and the patient’s rapid recovery and return to previous life comfort depend on early diagnosis. Especially severe lower back and back pain should never be underestimated, and a physician should be consulted as soon as possible.

Radiotherapy

Almost all spinal cord and spinal tumors are sensitive to radiation. For this reason, radiotherapy is administered to these tumors before and after surgical intervention. Especially in tumors that have been diagnosed and pathologically typed, radiotherapy can be performed in the early postoperative period.

Chemotherapy

This method is based on shrinking the tumor by administering chemicals targeting the tumor as support to other treatment methods.