Treated cancer of the spine?

A spinal tumor is a malignant tumor growing in the spinal cord. With the growth of the tumor can be damaged blood vessels and nerves, the spinal vertebrae. Treatment of cancer of the spine should be started immediately after its identify – it will increase the chances of patient survival. The chances of Contracting cancer of the spine with age, only increase.

Possible causes of cancer of the spine:

• genetic predisposition;
• AIDS;
• leukemia;
• lymphoma.

Types

Cancer of the spine called the primary in that case, if the malignant cells originally appeared in the spinal cord. Secondary cancer called a malignant tumor resulting from metastasis of the tumor originally grew up in a different body. Most often metastasize to the spine cancer of the lung, breast, kidney and prostate.

Tumors of the spine are:

• intramedullary;
• intramurally;
• extradurally.

Malignant intramedullary tumors grow inside the spinal cord and cause complete loss of function of the spine. Such tumors are mostly benign but they can grow to large sizes and tend to recur. Children and adolescents often affect astrocytomas, and adults ependyma. Of blood vessels grow hemangioblastoma.

Intradural tumor is a tumor of ingrowing in the Dura of the spinal cord, as they grow, causing its compression. In a rigid sheath of the spinal cord can result in such tumors as meningiomas. In the nerve roots emerging from the base of the spinal cord grow sanomi. From the base of the spinal cord grow ependyma.

Extradurally called tumors that appear outside of the Dura mater. Such tumors cause the appearance of the metastasis outside the Central nervous system and are more common intramuralnah. Extradural tumors of different cell types, which caused the development of tumors. Isolated chondrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, multiple myeloma.

Chondrosarcoma is the most common tumor of the spine: it is diagnosed in 80% of cases (most often it occurs in the thoracic spine). In the lumbosacral region of the spine may appear osteosarcoma, which is quite a rare form. In childhood is often diagnosed Ewing's sarcoma (a very aggressive form of cancer. On the inside of the porous part of the bone that produces blood cells can develop multiple myeloma.

Symptoms

On the malignant process, can say such cancer symptoms of the spine:

• difficulty walking;
• back pain that is not relieved with analgesics, and drugs, and aggravated in the supine position;
• pain, burning or tingling in the feet;
• muscle spasms;
• incontinence of stool or urine;
• paralysis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of cancer of the spine is carried out using neurological tests, CT or MRI. Neurological tests include checking reflexes, muscle tone and muscle strength.

Magnetic resonance imaging (especially with the introduction of contrast), much better helps to detect spinal tumors than CT scan. To identify the compressed nerves can be used to myelography. This method consists in the introduction into the spinal canal of a contrast agent. This is followed by CT scan or x-ray: the nerves and the spinal cord in the image look white.

To determine whether a tumor is malignant, helps biopsy of the tumor cells under a microscope. The cell harvesting is done using a thin needle or directly during operationto remove the tumor.

Treatment

Treatment of cancer of the spine is surgical removal of the tumor, despite the fact that the risk of serious complications is very high. Due to nerve damage during the surgery, the person could be paralyzed below the level of the damaged nerve. Another possible complication of such surgery is incontinence of feces and urine. Therefore, the surgical intervention on the spine by the doctors to check sensitivity of nerves using electrodes. In order to carefully separate the diseased cells of the spinal cord from healthy used strong microscopes.

Radiation and chemotherapy are additional treatment methods for cancer of the spine. In addition, irradiation can be used in the treatment of inoperable tumors of the spine or destruction of the remnants of the tumor that are unable to remove during the operation. Hormonal drugs such as dexamethasone, are used to reduce the severity of the inflammatory process in the body.