What are Metastatic Spine Tumors?
As cancers progress in severity, the risk of the cancer metastasizing, or spreading, to other sites throughout the body increases significantly. The skeleton, and especially the spine, is the most common site for secondary, metastatic neoplasms to occur.
Metastatic spine tumors, which can weaken or fracture the vertebrae, cause varying levels of pain, from mild to severe. Soft tissue surrounding spine tumors can also be affected.
Accurately assessing the symptoms of metastatic spinal tumors and, ultimately, the size, location, and type of spine tumors affecting the vertebrae will be keys to selecting the best cancer treatment option.
Spine tumor treatment options currently available to relieve metastatic bone cancer symptoms include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and radiosurgery, general surgery, and minimally invasive spine procedures, such as cryosurgery or radiofrequency ablation.