Overview

Chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that happens most often in the bones of the spine or the skull. It most often forms where the skull sits atop the spine (skull base) or at the bottom of the spine (sacrum).

Chordoma begins in cells that once made up a collection of cells in the developing embryo that go on to become the disks of the spine. Most of these cells go away by the time you're born or soon after. But sometimes a few of these cells remain and, rarely, they can become cancerous.

Chordoma happens most often in adults between 40 and 60, though it can happen at any age.

Chordoma usually grows slowly. It can be difficult to treat because it's often located very close the spinal cord and other important structures, such as arteries, nerves or the brain.