title: Adult primary spinal cord tumors.
abstract: Primary spinal cord tumors represent 2-4% of all neoplasms of the CNS. Primary spinal cord tumors are anatomically separable into two broad categories: intradural intramedullary and intradural extramedullary. Intramedullary tumors are comprised predominantly of gliomas (infiltrative astrocytomas and ependymomas). Resective surgery can usually be accomplished with spinal ependymomas owing to separation of tumor from spinal cord and, when complete, require no further therapy. By contrast, spinal cord gliomas infiltrate the myelon and, consequently, surgery is nearly always incomplete. Involved-field radiotherapy is most often administered after partial resection. Intradural extramedullary tumors are either peripheral nerve sheath tumors (neurofibromas or schwanommas) or meningiomas. In either instance, complete resection may be accomplished and is often curative. Radiotherapy is reserved for rare malignant variants and for patients in whom surgery is contraindicated. Chemotherapy is administered for recurrent primary spinal cord tumors without other options, that is, reoperation or re-irradiation. Problematic, however, is the lack of clinical trials in general for these CNS tumors and for spinal cord tumors in particular. Consequently, treatment is similar to that for intracranial tumors with a similar histology. Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of primary spinal cord tumors allows for early treatment, potentially minimizes neurologic morbidity and improves outcome. Primary treatment is surgery in essentially all spinal cord tumors, and predictors of outcome include preoperative functional status, histological grade of tumor and extent of surgical resection.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Neurology/Division of Neuro-Oncology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 825 Eastlake Avenue E, POB 19023, MS G4940, Seattle, WA 98109-1023, USA.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Marc C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult