Metastatic spinal tumors
Metastatic (or secondary) spinal tumors, which have spread to the spine from another location in the body, are much more common than primary spinal tumors. Some cancers that commonly spread to the spine are lung, breast, prostate and colon.
Rather than using the spinal cancer grading system, metastatic spinal cancers are generally assessed through the Tumor, Node, Metastasized (spread) staging system (TNM). Sometimes, individuals are diagnosed with metastatic brain or spinal cancer before they realize they have another primary cancer.
Learn about spinal cancer treatment options