Types of Spine Cancer We Treat
Spine cancers are not common, but we are skilled in treating many forms of these cancers including:
- Chordoma
- Ependymoma
- Glioma
- Medulloblastoma
- Meningioma
Not every spine tumor is cancer (malignant). We are also skilled in treating noncancerous (benign) tumors of the spinal cord to relieve symptoms and ease pain.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Symptoms of spine cancer can vary depending on the location of the tumor, but can feel like:
- Feeling cold in the legs, hands and fingers
- Loss of sensation in the legs
- Back pain that worsens over time
- Pain that radiates to the hips, legs, feet or arms
- Inability to control bowel movements (fecal incontinence)
- Inability to control urine (urinary incontinence)
- Loss of muscle function
- Muscle contractions, twitches, spasms or weakness
You know your body best. If you think you are experiencing spine cancer symptoms, reach out to your doctor so we can understand what is causing them.
Our care team conducts a thorough health history and physical exam to understand your condition, as well as a neurologic exam to check your coordination, reflexes, mental status, mobility and more. We perform imaging and other tests to find more information about your tumor. These tests may include:
- Biopsies, or tissue samples from the tumor
- Imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs
- Myelograms, an imaging test done to look for tumors around the spine
- Spinal taps, which take spinal fluid from your lumbar spine to check for cancer cells
If these exams are abnormal, we refer you for a cancer consultation with medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, plus neurologists, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons, who specialize in treating spine cancer. These experts review your test results and medical history to learn more about your diagnosis and form a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
We know hearing you have spine cancer can feel scary. That’s why we are committed to seeing you for a cancer consultation as quickly as possible — often within 48 hours — after your diagnosis so we can discuss treatment options, order additional tests and address any questions without delay.
Treatments
Your spine cancer is unique. We create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your stage, type and location of spine cancer. Each week, the Cancer Care team convenes a tumor board that brings together experts from across disciplines to collaborate on customized care plans for you. This collaboration has one common goal — to make sure you get the best possible care. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists and pathologists who collaborate with surgical, medical and radiation oncologists on your care. We bring decades of experience treating these cancers and are here for you through every step of your treatment.
Surgery
Radiation
Your cancer care team may recommend radiation treatment to eliminate any remaining spine cancer that wasn’t removed during surgery. Radiation oncologists at our Radiation Treatment Center have treated thousands of patients, and we have a full set of state-of-the-art radiation treatments that bring precision, speed and the ability to save your healthy tissue.
Chemotherapy
Alongside surgery and radiation, chemotherapy can be a powerful treatment for different kinds of spine cancer. Because there are many different types of these cancers, your care team tests your tumor to understand the best anticancer drug to use, an approach called targeted therapy. We also help find the right combination of anti-nausea medicine, pain medication and intravenous hydration to keep you feeling as comfortable as possible during treatment.
Clinical Trials
Current clinical trials are finding new ways to improve detection, ease treatment and find better cures for your spine cancer and we are always looking for ways to bring these approaches to you. We collaborate with other medical centers and the National Cancer Institute on clinical trials like novel radiation therapy and innovative chemotherapy approaches.
If you are interested in a clinical trial, speak with your care team to see if there is a study that is right for you.
Cancer Awards & Accreditations
Our superior Cancer Care has earned us a three-year accreditation as a comprehensive community cancer program from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Accreditation ensures that the care you receive right here in your community is high-quality and uses evidence-based, national treatment guidelines.
We’re also an ACS Surgical Quality Partner and committed to the highest surgery standards.
Patients rate us highly, too. Based on PressGaney patient satisfaction surveys, our “likeliness to recommend” score is over 90%, and we’ve won the top patient experience award multiple years in a row.
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Cancer Patient Stories
You are our inspiration. Hear how El Camino Health Cancer Care has helped other patients beat cancer — and how we can support you at every step of the way.
