Tumors are abnormal growths of tissue that can occur anywhere in the body, including in the bones, nerve tissue and surrounding tissue of the spine. Spinal tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancerous and usually do not need to be treated unless they cause pain, deformity or other symptoms. Malignant tumors are cancerous tumors that can originate in the spine (primary) or migrate from another cancer in the body (metastatic) and must be treated thoroughly to prevent spreading. Once the tumor is detected, Sutter physicians will determine whether it is benign or malignant and chart an appropriate treatment course.

For malignant tumors, an interdisciplinary panel of Sutter Cancer Center experts, spine surgeons and other specialists meet for a Consultative Tumor Conference to decide the best course of treatment.

If the spinal tumor is benign, it may still cause complications by affecting the nerve roots, spinal cord or spinal structure. At Sutter, we evaluate how a spinal tumor is affecting the patient and what possible risks it may impose in the future. If the tumor is not harmful, treatment may not be necessary, although the physicians at Sutter recommend regular reexaminations to be certain such a tumor stays harmless. Treatment depends on the case and may include surgery or treatment using our gamma knife radiological surgical treatment.

You can find additional information under benign tumors in MedlinePlus®, a joint effort of the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine. More information on malignant tumors is available from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).