How Are Spinal Cord Tumors Treated?
Question: Is a “spinal cord tumor” always cancer?
Answer: No. Many tumors within the spinal cord/spinal canal may be benign. However, because they can compress neural tissue within a confined canal, they may cause serious symptoms such as weakness, gait disturbance, numbness, and, more rarely, bladder–bowel control problems.
Which findings require “urgent evaluation”?
Answer:
- Rapidly worsening arm/leg weakness
- Urinary incontinence/retention or new-onset bowel control problems
- Marked deterioration in walking over a short period of time
- Severe, persistent pain that wakes the patient at night