What is the survival rate of chordoma?
Chordomas are malignant and potentially life threatening tumors. Currently the median survival in the United States is about 7 years. The overall survival rates are 68% at 5 years and 40% at 10 years. Complete surgical resection offers the best chance for long-term survival.
What are the symptoms of chordoma?
These symptoms can include tingling, numbness, weakness, lack of bladder or bowel control, sexual dysfunction, vision problems, endocrine problems and swallowing difficulties. If the chordoma has grown very large, you may be able to feel a lump.
Is chordoma curable?
With appropriate treatment, many chordoma patients will live for a decade or more, and some can be cured.
How serious is a tumor on the spine?
Spinal tumors or growths of any kind can lead to pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis. A spinal tumor can be life-threatening and cause permanent disability. Treatment for a spinal tumor may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or other medications.
How long does it take for a chordoma to grow?
When a chordoma grows back, it usually does so near the location of the original tumor, within five to seven years of the initial diagnosis.
What is the cause of chordoma?
The underlying causes of chordoma are unknown. Most cases arise spontaneously and are not due to an inherited genetic change. A prevailing theory is that acquired genetic abnormalities or mutations result in cancerous growth of notochordal remnants.
How is a chordoma diagnosed?
An MRI is the best way to see a chordoma and how it is affecting the tissue around it, such as muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. No matter where the tumor is located, an MRI of the entire spine should be performed to see if the tumor may have spread to or developed in other areas of the spine.
Can chordoma be removed?
Initial treatment for a clival chordoma is with surgical removal or debulking. Given their midline location, most clival chordomas and chondrosarcomas are best removed via an endoscopic endonasal approach. However, some extensive and/or laterally placed chordomas may require different skull base surgical approaches.
Is a chordoma a brain tumor?
Skull base chordomas are sometimes called brain tumors because they grow inside the skull toward the brain; however, they do not actually develop from brain cells. Mobile spine. The remaining 20 percent of chordomas form in the spine at the level of the neck, chest, or lower back.
How do you treat chordoma?
The primary treatment for chordoma is surgical excision with wide local margins, when possible. Radiotherapy also plays a significant role in the adjuvant setting and when surgery is not possible.
Where does a chordoma grow on the spine?
Chordomas typically grow slowly. They are often found in the front (anterior) part of the spine or base of the skull. They can occur at any point along the spine. Common locations include the base of the spine (sacrum), the tailbone (coccyx), and the place where the spine meets the skull (skull base).
What is a chordoma tumor?
Chordomas A chordoma is a rare type of cancerous bone tumor that can occur at any part of the spine or in the skull. Most of these tumors are found in adults aged 40 to 70 years old. One example is a clival chordoma.
What is a cord tumor of the spine?
Spinal cord tumor. Chordoma. A chordoma is a rare cancerous (malignant) primary bone tumor that usually occurs along the spine or where the skull sits atop the spine (skull base). This type of tumor most often occurs at the skull base, spine or bottom of the spine (sacrum).
What is a clival chordoma?
A chordoma is a rare type of cancerous bone tumor that can occur at any part of the spine or in the skull. Most of these tumors are found in adults aged 40 to 70 years old. One example is a clival chordoma. Figure 1. Anterior, lateral and posterior views of the spine