CyberKnife® for Spinal Tumors

Spine cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in or around the spinal cord resulting in a tumor. If the abnormal cells originated from cells in the tissues of the spine, this is a Primary Spine Tumor. Primary tumors in the spine are relatively rare and are either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

If the abnormal cells originated in another part of the body, as in cancer originating in the lung, breast, colon or skin and were carried to the spine by the blood or other bodily fluid, growing into a tumor, then it is considered a Metastatic Spine Tumor.Both primary and metastatic spine tumors are very serious because they can compress the spinal cord and/or destroy the bone and surrounding tissue in the spine. These tumors cause patients to experience pain, gait and posture problems, and other neurological issues.

Benign Spine Tumors include:

• Meningiomas
• Neurofibromas
• Schwannoma

Malignant Spine Tumors include:

• Astrocytomas
• Ependymosas