Spinal Tumors

With a unique combination of medical expertise, advanced technologies and state-of-the-art facilities, the Swedish Neuroscience Institute is known for diagnosing and treating benign and malignant spinal cord and spinal column tumors.

Benign spinal tumors aren’t cancerous, but they can damage the nerves and bones of the spine. Examples of benign tumors include hemangioma, meningioma, neurofibroma, schwannoma, osteoid ostoma, osteoblastoma and giant cell tumor.

On the other hand, malignant spinal tumors are cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. Metastatic disease, astrocytoma and ependymoma are examples of malignant spinal tumors.


Your treatment will depend on your particular condition. Surgery may be considered if the spinal cord and spinal nerves are compromised, or if the tumor has created instability in the vertebral body.

Conservative care

Conservative care treatments are used alone or along with surgery to help maintain muscle strength and quality of life. These measures may include physical therapy, massage therapy, aquatics and acupuncture.


If surgery is required, your spine team will create a personalized care plan based on imaging, a physical exam and oncologic recommendations. Surgical options include:

  • Laminectomy, surgery to remove the lamina, a bone at the back of each vertebra, from the affected area of the spine. This helps relieve pressure on your spinal cord or a nerve running out from your spinal cord.
  • Spinal fusion, a type of surgery used to join two or more vertebrae through the use of supplementary bone tissue and spinal instrumentation. Spinal fusion removes the damaged tissue and locks two or more vertebrae in place. This prevents unwanted movement that can lead to irritation and inflammation of the spinal nerves.
  • CyberKnife, a radiosurgery treatment that delivers focused radiation to a specific area of the body with minimal exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. It’s pain-free, non-invasive and is done on an outpatient basis.  

To have a spinal condition assessed by a Swedish spine specialist, schedule a consultation online or call 206-320-BACK (2225).

What are spine tumors?

What are the treatment options for spine tumors?