Direct injury is far more likely to be the cause of neurologic problems following spinal cord injury. Spinal cord tumors occur in all age groups, and the most common involvement of the spine by cancer or tumors in general results from the metastatic spread of cancer cells throughout the body. Because of the large blood supply of the vertebral column, tumor cells lodging in the spinal column are unfortunately quite common. The type of tumor occurring in young adults or even children is less likely to be metastatic and more likely to be a primary tumor meaning it has started in the location in which it is diagnosed. Many of the primary tumors are benign and can be treated either with observation or surgical excision.
Radiation is used primarily to treat conditions in which cells are dividing faster than normal.
The faster cells are dividing, the more likely it is for radiation to be effective. Therefore, just as in malignant tumors throughout the body, radiation can be a useful therapy in the treatment of spinal tumors. At the University of Iowa, we are fortunate to be working on a type of accurately focused radiation, which may be particularly effective for radiation treatment in the spine where we hope to maximally treat the tumor and protect the spinal cord. The best answer for this question is that the only certain way of making a diagnosis is to obtain a tissue sample. Even then, there is always a chance of not obtaining a diagnosis.