Spinal Tumors and Cancer Treatment & Survival Rate

January 12, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Yvette Theodore, N.P., Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

Spinal tumors are abnormal growths of cells that occur in the spinal cord, a part of the body’s central nervous system. More than 90% of all spinal tumors are metastatic, meaning they are tumors that developed after cancer spread from elsewhere in the body to the spinal cord. There are many different treatment options for spinal tumors. Which options may be most effective depends on a variety of factors, including the type of spinal tumor a patient has, where it’s located and the patient’s overall health.

Who Treats Spinal Tumors?

People diagnosed with spinal tumors receive care from a multidisciplinary team of cancer experts, which may include:

• Neurosurgeons, who perform operations on parts of the body related to the nervous system, including the spine and brain.
• Neuro-oncologists, who have specialized training in treating cancers that affect the central nervous system.
• Medical oncologists, who have expertise in medications like chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immunotherapies that can target and destroy cancer cells.
• Radiation oncologists, who use high-energy beams of radiation to target and treat tumors.
• Pathologists, who are experts in evaluating biopsies and tissue samples as part of the diagnosis process.
• Specialized pharmacies with access to the latest medications to treat spinal tumors and other types of cancer.
• Supportive medicine providers with expertise in helping patients manage the side effects and symptoms of spinal cancer and its treatment.

Spinal Tumor Treatments

There are several common treatment options for spinal tumors, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In the majority of cases, the goal of treatment is to entirely remove the spinal tumor. However, treatment may also be used to relieve pain or other symptoms caused by a tumor in order to improve a patient’s quality of life.

Spine Surgery

Surgery is a common first step in treating or managing the effects of spinal tumors in both adults and children. Spinal tumor surgery may have several different goals. In some cases, surgery can remove all or most of a tumor in order to make subsequent treatments like radiation therapy or chemotherapy more effective.

Surgery may also be necessary if a tumor is pressing against nerves in the spine and causing issues with a patient’s central nervous system, such as paralysis. Lastly, surgery may be used to take a sample of the tumor tissue so that it can be analyzed in a lab. This can help doctors determine whether there may be other, more personalized treatments that may be effective at treating the tumor.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-powered beams of radiation to target and destroy cancer cells. It may be used after spine surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells or as a main treatment option in cases where a spinal tumor is hard to remove surgically. Radiation therapy may be recommended for adults or children with spinal tumors. There are many different types of radiation therapy, but most often, patients with spinal tumors undergo a type of external radiation therapy, which involves radiation being aimed at the site of the tumor from outside the body. Less commonly, doctors may recommend internal radiation therapy (or brachytherapy). This involves placing small amounts of radiation inside the body at the site of or near a tumor.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to the use of one or a combination of medications that are designed to target and kill tumors and cancer cells. Chemotherapy is most often given through a vein (intravenously), however, there are some oral chemotherapy options, which are taken in the form of a pill. For both children and adults, chemotherapy for spinal tumors is most often given in combination with surgery or radiation therapy.

Spine Cancer Survival Rate

The prognosis for patients with spinal cancer varies based on a number of factors, including what type of spinal tumor a patient has, the extent of the cancer and whether the patient is an adult or a child.

Survival rates for spinal cancer and brain cancer are grouped together, since the same kinds of tumors can affect both the brain and the spinal cord. When scientists calculate survival rates, they often report five-year relative survival rate. This describes the percentage of patients with that cancer type who are alive after five years, compared to people without that cancer type.

Below are the five-year relative survival rates for patients with certain spinal tumors, most of which are broken down by the patient’s age.

Spinal Tumor Treatment at City of Hope

Because of the complexity of the spinal cord and the central nervous system, treating spinal tumors requires a deeply experienced team of physicians that often includes neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists and other specialists. City of Hope’s spinal cancer team is nationally recognized for our expertise in advanced surgical techniques and the latest in medical treatments for spinal tumors.

Spinal tumors can also cause another condition called pelvic floor dysfunction. People with pelvic floor dysfunction may experience issues with continence, urinary function and sexual health. The pelvic floor reconstructive surgical team at City of Hope works closely with patients’ care teams to offer comprehensive reconstruction of the pelvic floor for those who may develop this condition.