Though spinal tumors are relatively rare compared to many other types, it’s little comfort if you or someone you love has one.
You want the assistance and guidance of a seasoned expert in diagnosing, surgically removing, and treating a spinal tumor. Dr. Benjamin Cohen has traveled the path of spinal tumor diagnosis and treatment with countless patients and is committed to offering expertise, comfort, and education to both patients and their loved ones.
There are many valuable tools Dr. Cohen uses when a patient comes to him with symptoms of a spinal tumor, and one of the most important is sophisticated imaging, which literally shows him what’s going on in a patient’s body that’s imperceptible otherwise.
Spinal tumor symptoms can be subtle, since you might attribute pain in your back to a host of other conditions, from a slipped disc to a chronic condition like spinal stenosis. This is why you should always seek care for any type of back discomfort. A spinal tumor can be a possibility if you don’t live with a chronic spinal condition or you haven’t experienced an injury.
Other spinal tumor symptoms include:
These symptoms aren’t only uncomfortable and scary, they can also limit your mobility.
Dr. Cohen’s first task, if a spinal tumor is found, is to determine which of three types it is, as that determines the course of treatment he pursues for you.
Intradural-extramedullary tumors also develop outside the nerves.
These three types of tumors are known as primary tumors since they originate in the spine, but secondary spinal tumors are related to cancer elsewhere in the body, like breast or prostate cancer.
Advanced imaging for diagnosing spinal tumors is a critical tool that informs Dr. Cohen’s design of the most customized, effective treatment plan.
There are several types of imaging that Dr. Cohen uses:
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is typically the frontline imaging test Dr. Cohen uses to diagnose a spinal tumor in its earliest stages. This test creates highly detailed images of the spinal cord by combining a potent magnetic field with radio waves.
This test allows Dr. Cohen to visualize a tumor using multiple X-rays. This test provides information on a tumor’s location and size, as well as spinal bone integrity. This data assists Dr. Cohen with staging the tumor and determining whether the cancer has spread beyond the spine.
The special benefits that X-rays have include helping Dr. Cohen determine whether any vertebrae are compressing the spinal cord and how the spine is aligned. If spine-stabilizing surgery is part of treatment following a diagnosis, X-rays also assist him with planning the proper placement of spine-stabilizing surgical hardware (rods and screws).
PET technology can reveal metastases (cancer spread) and whether bone lesions are benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Before this test, you receive a small intravenous dose of radioactive sugar. Because cancer cells absorb sugar more readily than unaffected cells, this test helps identify where cancer is in the spine.
Before this test, a patient also receives an injection of contrast dye into their spinal fluid cavity. The resulting image reveals the tumor outline and assists Dr. Cohen at both the diagnostic and radiation treatment stages.
Advanced imaging tools are essential for detecting a spinal tumor at its earliest stages, and we know that the earlier it’s diagnosed, the greater the chances of a positive outcome.
If you’re diagnosed with a spinal tumor, you’re in the best hands with Dr. Cohen, who will stop at nothing to find answers and provide unmatched care.
Contact our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cohen, or contact us through our website.
