Spinal Tumor and Cancer Facts

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.

Brain or spinal cancers are rare, with roughly 24,820 adults and children diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.

Spinal tumors occur in both children and adults, although treatment for each group tends to be different. Although they are rare, brain and spinal cord tumors combined are the third most common type of childhood cancer.

What Are Spinal Tumors?

Spinal tumors are masses of abnormal cells that begin in or around the spine’s cord or column. The spinal cord is a grouping of nerve tissue that runs down the back, from the skull down. It is protected by the back bones (vertebrae), muscles and tendons that make up the spinal column.

Spinal tumors are either malignant, which means they are cancerous, or benign, meaning they are caused by something other than cancer. In both children and adults, spinal tumors are most often benign.

What Is Spinal Cancer?

Spinal cancer develops when abnormal cells in the spinal cord grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, interfering with normal functioning. Cancerous tumors that begin in the spine are called primary spinal tumors. However, sometimes cancer originates in other areas of the body and then spreads (metastasizes) to the spine. This is known as a secondary spinal tumor.

What Causes Spinal Tumors?

There are no known risk factors or causes for spinal cancer or tumors, although people with a weakened immune system may have a greater risk for developing spinal tumors.

In some instances, there is a genetic link in families, caused by genetic disorders.

• Neurofibromatosis type 1 and 2 are nerve tumors of the skin, brain or spinal cord. Problems with the NF1 gene are much more likely to be implicated as a cause of brain tumors than changes to NF2.
• Tuberous sclerosis increases the risk of certain low-grade astrocytomas and benign tumors of the brain, heart, skin and other organs.
• Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome increases the risk of developing benign or malignant tumors in different parts of the brain and spinal cord; and other parts of the body including the pancreas, kidney, adrenal gland and inner ear.
• Li Fraumeni cancer syndrome is caused by changes to a gene called TP53 and is associated with a higher risk of developing gliomas and other types of cancer including sarcomas, leukemia and breast cancer.
• Other rare syndromes that increase the risk of brain and spinal tumors include Turcot syndrome and Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

Infections such as Epstein-Barr virus and AIDS may increase risk of brain and spinal tumors, and receiving an organ transplant also increases the risk of certain central nervous system-related cancers.