- Cervical – neck
- Thoracic – mid-back
- Lumbar – low-back
- Sacral – sacrum



Symptoms
Whether cancerous or not, spinal tumors can cause a variety of symptoms, including:- Pain not related to an injury or physical activity.
- Pain in the back or neck that presents suddenly, quickly worsens, especially at night. This can be an indicator of a spinal tumor.
- Pain that radiates to other parts of the body, like the arms, hands, legs, and feet.
- The pain continues even when resting.
- Muscle weakness or loss of sensation, especially in the legs, arms, or chest.
- Difficulty walking
- Abnormal curvature of the spine not from poor posture
- Paralysis
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Lowered sensitivity to heat and cold
Causes
As previously mentioned these tumors can originally develop in another part of the body and then metastasize to the spine. These types of tumors are secondary tumors. Research scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly causes primary tumors that originate in the spine. One theory believes genetics plays a role.


Early diagnosis
The most common symptom of a spinal tumor is pain. Examinations and diagnostic tests will be conducted both physical and neurological. A doctor or specialist needs to see and evaluate the spine. This is essential in diagnosing a potential tumor. A doctor could also order:- CT scan
- MRI
- PET scan – Positron Emission Tomography
- Myelogram if there are symptoms of spinal cord compression
Treatment
There are many factors that go into creating an optimal treatment plan. This includes whether the tumor is cancerous or not, size, location, and symptoms. Types of treatment:- Observe and wait as small non-cancerous tumors that are not growing or impinging/pinching other spinal structures could only need to be monitored for changes.
- Surgery
- Radiation treatment
- Stereotactic radiosurgery works by delivering a high dose of radiation specifically targeted at the tumor
- Chemotherapy