Causes

Vertebral tumors that begin in the spine are very rare, and it's not clear why they develop. Experts suspect that defective genes play a role. But it's usually not known whether such genetic defects are inherited or simply develop over time. Or, they might be caused by something in the environment, such as exposure to certain chemicals.

Most vertebral tumors are metastatic, which means they have spread from tumors in organs elsewhere in the body. Any type of cancer can travel to the spine, but common tumor spread from the breast, lung and prostate are more likely than others to spread to the spine. Cancers of the bone, such as multiple myeloma, also may spread to the spine.

Vertebral tumors are also more common in people who have a prior history of cancer.