Imaging tests can usually detect a tumor and help diagnose cancer of the spine.

It is a relatively common occurrence, affecting anywhere from 5% to 30% of people with cancer.

Other bone cancers may affect thebone marrowor cells in the bone marrow calledfibroblasts.

When to See Your Healthcare Provider for Back Pain: Alarm clock with medicine (pain after waking up in the morning), Toilet paper (loss of bowel or bladder control), a quad cane with tennis balls at the bottom (difficult walking), an arm holding a weight with an exclamation point on it (weakness)

Verywell / Laura Porter

Primary Spinal Tumors

Primary spinal tumorsare rare.

These tumors can often bebenign(non-cancerous) but can becomemalignant(cancerous).

Overall, the lifetime chance of developing a spinal cord tumor is less than 1%.

It may be due to thecompression of a spinal nerve, causingradiating nerve painand other symptoms.

It may also be caused when the tumor weakens a bone, causing apathological fracture of the spineandbone pain.

The same is true if your back pain is severe, worsening, or interferes with daily activities.

If suspected, cancer can be diagnosed with blood tests, imaging studies, and a tumor biopsy.

Mossa-Basha M, Gerszten PC, Myrehaug S, et al.Spinal metastasis: diagnosis, management and follow-up.BJR.

2019;9(1_suppl):108S-116S.

doi:10.1177/2192568219828727

University of Kansas Cancer Center.Lymphoma.

2016;66(644):e182-e188.

American Cancer Society.Key statistics for brain and spinal cord tumors.

American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of adult brain and spinal cord tumors.

American Cancer Society.Risk factors for brain and spinal cord tumors.