spine cancer
Meaning of spine cancer: Spine cancer describes tumors of the vertebrae or spinal cord, though cancer reaching the spine from elsewhere is far more common than a primary tumor.
Definition of spine cancer
Spine cancer refers to cancer involving the spinal column, commonly called the backbone, or the spinal cord, the column of nerve tissue that runs from the base of the skull down the back and is enclosed within the vertebrae and surrounded by three protective membranes. Tumors can arise from the bone of the vertebrae, the tissue surrounding the spinal cord, or the nerve tissue itself.
A tumor that begins directly in the spine is called a primary spinal tumor, and these are relatively uncommon. Far more often, a tumor found in the spine has spread there from cancer originating elsewhere in the body, such as the breast, lung, or prostate, a pattern called spinal metastasis, since the vertebrae are a frequent site for cancer to spread through the bloodstream.
Because the spinal cord occupies a narrow, enclosed space, a tumor pressing on it, whether primary or metastatic, can affect nerve function, causing pain, weakness, or numbness, which is why evaluating a possible spinal tumor generally involves determining both its origin and its effect on nearby nerve tissue.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Imaging revealed a lesion in the spine consistent with metastatic spine cancer in a patient with a history of breast cancer.
Good to know
A tumor found in the spine is more often cancer that has spread there from another organ than a primary tumor arising in the spine itself, a distinction confirmed through further evaluation.
Word origin
Where “spine cancer” comes from
Spine is formed from Latin spina, meaning thorn or spine; cancer comes from Latin cancer, meaning crab.