Dr. John D. Lipani is dedicated to helping patients maintain healthy brain and spine function. With extensive training and experience in image guided brain surgery, complex and minimally invasive spinal surgery and non-invasive or knifeless radiosurgery, Dr. Lipani's patients often have several state-of-the-art treatment options available.
A spinal tumor is a growth that develops within or near the spinal cord or within the bones of your spine that can lead to severe pain and even paralysis. The exact cause of spinal tumors is unknown, but there have been many cases linked to genetic abnormalities, and therefore, spinal tumors tend to run in families.
Spinal tumors may be classified according to their location in the spine. These categories include: extradural tumors, intradural-extramedullary tumors and intramedullary tumors. Spinal tumor symptoms depend on the location and type of spinal tumor. Symptoms can develop as the tumor grows and consequently affect nerve roots, blood vessels or bones within the spinal column.
Spinal tumor symptoms may include:
Back pain is a common symptom of both noncancerous and cancerous spinal tumors. Spinal tumor pain may also spread beyond the back to the hips, legs, feet or arms.
The goal of spinal tumor treatment is to completely eliminate the tumor without damaging the surrounding nerves. For those with benign tumors, monitoring the tumor may be all that is necessary to ensure that the spinal tumor is not growing or affecting nerves that are nearby. Cancerous tumors or tumors that press against nearby structures may need to be treated with surgery, radiosurgery or a combination of the two. Radiation therapy may also be utilized after surgery to control residual tumor cells or to treat tumors that have spread to other areas of the body.
For more information about spinal tumor treatment or spinal tumor surgery, contact the office of Dr. John D. Lipani at (609)-890-3400 today!
