A chordoma is a rare type of cancer that develops from the notochord. The notochord forms the spine in a developing baby in the womb. After about six months, most of the notochord is replaced by the bones of the spine. However, small amounts of the notochord may remain and these can sometimes develop into a chordoma.
Chordomas can be found in any part of the spine. Around half occur at the bottom of the spine. About 2 in 5 (35–40%) occur at the base of the skull or in the bones running down the middle of the face. The rest affect the bones in the spine (the vertebrae).
Chordomas tend to be slow-growing and don’t often spread to other parts of the body. If they do spread, the most commonly affected places are the lungs, liver, nearby lymph nodes, bone and skin. As these tumours gradually grow, they can affect the surrounding areas of bone and soft tissue.
Chordomas can happen at any age, but mainly affect people aged 40–60. Fewer than 1 in 20 of all chordomas occur in people under the age of 20 and childhood chordomas are very rare. Chordomas, especially those that occur at the bottom of the spine, are more common in men than in women.
Causes of a chordoma
The exact cause of chordomas is unknown. Research is being carried out into possible causes.