What Is Chordoma

What is Chordoma??

-What Is Bone Cancer?

-Know the Symptoms or Signs of bone cancer?
-Handling and treatment of bone cancerPrevention of Bone
-Cancer Types of bone cancer.

What is Chordoma??
Chordoma is a rare tumor that usually occurs in the spine and the skull base and only about 300 patients diagnosed in the U.S. each year. It is a malignant tumor that grows fairly slowly. It can spread to other organs, usually the lungs. This represents only about 1 percent of all malignant bone tumors. The cells that give rise to Chordoma derived from the notochord. Notochord are important structures in early embryos which disappear before birth. However, even after giving birth, some of the notochord cells remain in the bone at the base of the skull, spine, and coccyx. Rarely, one cell, called a notochord remnants, which leads to a change Chordoma.



Most patients with chordomas are between 40 and 70 years. Sometimes these tumors can occur in younger patients, even children. The average age of people affected is about 55 years. There are several effective treatments and no cure for Chordoma. Most people with Chordoma die within 10 years of diagnosis.

Symptoms and Signs Chordoma, Bone Cancer

Chordomas grow slowly. Patients often have symptoms for a long time (more than one year) before they seek medical attention. Symptoms depend on tumor location;

1. Tumors of the skull can cause headaches or problems with vision.

2.Tumors in the spine can cause pain in the tumor area (neck, back, or tail bone).

3.A tumor pressing on nearby nerves can cause symptoms similar to disk "slipped" (herniated). The   symptoms include arm or leg pain, weakness, or numbness.

4. Tumors in the tailbone area can cause visible mass, numbness in the groin area, and problems with bowel and bladder.

Causes of Chordoma, Bone Cancer

Chordomas occur spontaneously. They are not known to be caused by trauma, environmental factors diet, or. Chordomas are not inherited. Chordomas are not related to medical conditions or use of drugs or supplements.

Check Up

Several imaging tests may be needed to identify the Chordoma, including x-ray, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Chordomas themselves do not appear well, but the damage to the bone can be seen on x-ray. X-ray of the sacrum is often difficult for clinicians to interpret.Typical sacral chordomas.Computed tomography (CT) scans of the same sacral chordomas.Corresponding magnetic resonance (MRI) scans.

Chordoma treatment, bone cancer

Treatment of chordomas is very difficult. This is mainly because these tumors near the brain and spinal cord.Traditional chemotherapy has not been very effective, and radiation alone seldom cure the tumor
 
Surgery is the preferred treatment option, where possible. Surgery in combination with radiation is often used to treat chordomas. When the tumor can not be surgically removed, sometimes radiation therapy can stop tumor growth.

Although the best treatment for chordomas, in many cases surgery can be difficult to perform because of important structures near the tumor. The surgeon must remove the tumor and surrounding normal tissue margins. This often results in loss of neurological function. For example, surgical removal of tumor in the sacrum can result in loss of control of bladder and bowel function (incontinence).Fifty to 75% of patients treated with surgery to be alive after 5 years.

 

See Also,

- Osteosarcoma
- Ewing's sarcoma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Fibrosarcoma
- Chordoma

- Cancer Bone   


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Posted in: Bone Cancer,Cancer