Your Diagnosis: Spine Cancer - South Florida Radiation Oncology ...

Last updated 1 hour 42 minutes ago

?Research shows that spinal metastases, or spinal cancer, affect more than 150,000 individuals in the United States each year?4,000 cases of which include benign spinal tumors and vascular malformations. If you?ve recently been diagnosed with spine cancer, then consider this overview on the disease and your treatment options.

What is Spine Cancer?

Spine cancer is a type of cancer that creates tumors in or surrounding the spinal cord. Spine cancer includes such types as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Tumors that begin in the spinal tissue itself are called primary spinal tumors, whereas those that metastasize or spread from the spine to another region are known as secondary spinal tumors. These tumors can occur inside the cord, within the meninges or membranes that cover the cord, or between the meninges and the spinal bones.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of spine cancer will vary based on the location of the tumor?however, some of the most common symptoms include:

• Abnormal sensations in the legs, hands, or fingers.
• Back pain that may extend into the extremities.
• Fecal and urinary incontinence.
• Muscle contractions, muscle weakness, or loss of muscle function.

Treatment Options

While many patients turn to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation treatments, CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery offers patients a revolutionary treatment option, providing rapid delivery of radiation to control tumors and provide pain relief. Spinal tumors can shift nearly 4 millimeters over a 15-minute period, and while IGRT and cone beam CT treatments may provide image guidance for pretreatment set-up, they are unable to recognize the targeted movements of these tumors, ultimately increasing the risk for the toxicity of sensitive structures. Fortunately, the CyberKnife System allows for continual image guidance to track, detect, and correct intra-fraction target movements of these tumors. This means that the CyberKnife system allows for an unprecedented 0.53 mm targeting accuracy in treating spinal lesions and tumors.

If you are looking for the best cancer center in your area, then contact South Florida Radiation Oncology. With several years of experience, our oncologists are devoted to providing the best cancer treatments for your specific diagnosis. Learn more about your options by calling (888) 690-4575.

Source: http://www.southfloridaradiationoncology.com/243017/2011/09/28/your--diagnosis-spine-cancer.html

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