Symptoms

Spinal cord tumors can cause different signs and symptoms, especially as tumors grow. The tumors may affect your spinal cord or the nerve roots, blood vessels or bones of your spine. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Pain at the site of the tumor due to tumor growth
• Back pain, often radiating to other parts of your body
• Feeling less sensitive to pain, heat and cold
• Loss of bowel or bladder function
• Difficulty walking, sometimes leading to falls
• Back pain that's worse at night
• Loss of sensation or muscle weakness, especially in your arms or legs
• Muscle weakness , which may be mild or severe, in different parts of your body

Back pain is a common early symptom of spinal tumors. Pain may also spread beyond your back to your hips, legs, feet or arms and may worsen over time — even with treatment.

Spinal tumors progress at different rates depending on the type of tumor.

When to see a doctor

There are many causes of back pain, and most back pain isn't caused by a tumor. But because early diagnosis and treatment are important for spinal tumors, see your doctor about your back pain if:

• It's persistent and progressive
• It's not activity related
• It gets worse at night
• You have a history of cancer and develop new back pain
• You have other symptoms of cancer, such as nausea, vomiting or dizziness

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:

• Progressive muscle weakness or numbness in your legs or arms
• Changes in bowel or bladder function