A spinal cord tumor often starts with night-time back pain, then numbness or weakness. Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak removes these tumors with microsurgery and nerve monitoring in Istanbul.
Career figures from Prof. Albayrak's professional profile, updated September 2026.
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In short
What Is a Spinal Cord Tumor?
A spinal cord tumor is an abnormal growth in or around the spinal cord. It can grow inside the cord, in its covering (the dura) or in spinal bone. Because the spinal canal is narrow, even a benign tumor can press on the cord and cause pain, numbness or weakness.
Doctors divide these tumors into primary and secondary types. Primary tumors start in the spine, and most of them are benign. In contrast, secondary tumors spread from cancer elsewhere, such as the lung, breast or prostate.
Above all, the exact location decides both the symptoms and the treatment. For example, complete removal with microsurgery is possible for many benign tumors. Meanwhile, tumors that spread from cancer often need radiotherapy as well as surgery.
Pain that persists at rest is often the first sign of a tumor in the spine.
What does the spinal cord do?
The spinal cord is the main cable between the brain and the body. For this reason, a tumor at one level can affect everything below it.
MovementCarries commands from the brain to the muscles
SensationBrings touch, pain and temperature back to the brain
Position senseTells you where your feet are without looking
Bladder and bowelThe lowest segments and roots control emptying
Reflexes and toneLocal loops keep muscle tension in balance
BreathingNerves from the upper neck drive the diaphragm
Start with what you noticed
Which Symptom Brought You Here?
First, pick the change that worries you most. Then, each link explains why a spinal tumor causes it and how urgent it is.
Symptoms depend on the tumor's level, its size and how fast it grows. In most people, pain comes first, and then nerve problems follow over weeks or months.
Symptoms appear below the level of the tumor. For example, a neck tumor can affect both the arms and the legs. In contrast, a mid-back tumor affects only the trunk and legs.
Back or neck pain
Pain is the most common first symptom of a spinal tumor. Unlike a pulled muscle, it keeps getting worse and does not settle with rest.
Deep, aching pain at one spot, often worse at night or when lying down
Pain that increases with coughing, sneezing or straining
Shooting pain into an arm, around the chest or down a leg when a nerve root is under pressure
Tenderness when the doctor presses on the spine
Numbness and tingling
When a tumor presses on the cord, feeling changes below that level. Many patients first notice it in the feet, and then it slowly rises.
Numbness, tingling or pins and needles in the legs or arms
A tight, band-like feeling around the chest or belly
Less feeling for heat, cold or pain, so small burns go unnoticed
Poor balance in the dark, because position sense fades
Weakness and walking problems
Pressure on the motor pathways also makes the legs feel heavy and stiff. As a result, people trip, walk more slowly or fall. Symptoms often start on one side before they spread to both.
Stiff legs with brisk reflexes (spasticity)
Clumsy hands and dropping objects when the tumor sits in the neck
Muscle wasting or twitching where a pressed nerve root supplies the muscle
Bladder, bowel and sexual function
The lowest part of the cord and its nerve roots control the bladder and bowel. Therefore, tumors in this area can change these functions early.
Urgency, frequent urination or leaking
Trouble starting urination or emptying the bladder
New constipation or loss of bowel control
Numbness in the "saddle" area between the legs, or erection problems
Elsewhere in the spine, however, these are late and serious signs. Together with leg weakness, they need emergency care on the same day.
Known cancer and new back pain
The spine is the most common place in the skeleton for cancer to spread. In fact, about 3 to 5 in 100 people with cancer develop spinal cord compression. Doctors call this metastatic spinal cord compression, or MSCC.
In particular, breast, lung and prostate cancer, lymphoma and myeloma cause most cases. Therefore, new back pain after cancer needs prompt assessment, even if the cancer seems controlled.
Signs in children
Spinal tumors are rare in children, but their signs are easy to miss. Young children cannot describe numbness, so parents notice changes in movement and behavior instead.
Back pain, especially pain that wakes the child at night
A stiff back or neck, or a new curve of the spine (scoliosis)
Toe walking, frequent falls or refusing to walk
A child who used to stay dry and starts wetting again
Children also have their own tumor types and a growing spine. Some, such as lipomas and dermoid cysts, occur together with a tethered spinal cord. For other conditions in children, see pediatric neurosurgery.
Tumor or slipped disc: how can you tell?
Most back pain comes from discs and joints, not tumors. However, a few features point toward a tumor:
Pain that is worse at night or at rest, while disc pain usually eases when you lie down
Pain that keeps growing over weeks instead of improving
Numbness or weakness that spreads slowly without any injury
A history of cancer, fever or weight loss without trying
How quickly do symptoms progress?
Benign tumors such as meningiomas and schwannomas grow slowly, over months or years.
Tumors inside the cord often cause numbness first and weakness later.
Metastases can cause weakness within days, especially when a vertebra collapses.
Questions at this stage
Why is spinal tumor pain worse at night?
Lying flat probably raises pressure in the spinal canal around the tumor. There are also fewer distractions at night. Therefore, back pain that wakes you up deserves a check.
Can you feel a spinal cord tumor?
Usually not. Most sit deep inside the spinal canal, so you cannot feel a lump from outside. Instead, an MRI scan is the reliable way to find one.
Act early
When to See a Doctor
Most back pain is not a tumor and gets better within weeks. Still, some patterns need a prompt check, and a few need emergency care.
Book a doctor's visit if you notice:
Back or neck pain that keeps getting worse after a few weeks
Pain that wakes you at night or does not ease with rest
Numbness or tingling that slowly spreads
Any new back pain after a cancer diagnosis
Seek emergency care the same day for:
New leg weakness or sudden difficulty walking
Numbness between the legs or around the back passage
Trouble passing urine, or loss of bladder or bowel control
Symptoms that worsen over hours or days
These signs can mean spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome. In both cases, early surgery therefore gives the nerves the best chance to recover. For example, surgery within 48 hours improves results in cauda equina syndrome (AANS).
Tumor types
Types of Spinal Tumors by Location
Doctors sort spinal tumors by their position relative to the dura, the tough sac around the cord. As a result, the location predicts both the likely tumor type and the operation.
Why does the location matter?
Beside the cord, the tumor pushes the cord aside. So the surgeon can often lift it away completely.
Inside the cord, the surgeon must open the cord itself. Therefore, a clear tumor border matters most.
In the bone, the tumor can weaken the spine. As a result, surgery may add screws and rods.
Location
How common
Typical tumors
Usual treatment
Intramedullary (inside the spinal cord)
About 5%
Ependymoma (most common in adults), astrocytoma (most common in children), hemangioblastoma
Microsurgery with nerve monitoring; radiotherapy if tumor remains or proves malignant
Intradural extramedullary (inside the dura, beside the cord)
About 40%
Meningioma, schwannoma, neurofibroma, myxopapillary ependymoma at the tip of the cord
Microsurgical removal, often complete; MRI follow-up for small tumors without symptoms
Extradural (outside the dura, mostly in bone)
About 55%
Metastases from lung, breast, prostate or kidney cancer; myeloma, lymphoma; primary bone tumors
Radiotherapy or radiosurgery, decompression and stabilization, cancer treatment for the whole body
The spine also has its own bone tumors. For example, hemangiomas are common and usually harmless, while chordomas are rare and malignant.
Tumors that start in the spine are usually benign. However, most spinal tumors overall come from cancer elsewhere, so it depends on your history. Even a benign tumor can damage the cord, so it still needs expert care.
Causes
What Causes Spinal Cord Tumors?
For most primary spinal tumors, doctors cannot find a single cause. Instead, genetic changes inside the cells seem to start the growth.
However, doctors do know a few risk factors:
Neurofibromatosis type 2: schwannomas, meningiomas and ependymomas
Neurofibromatosis type 1: neurofibromas along the nerve roots
Von Hippel-Lindau disease: hemangioblastomas in the cord, brain and retina
Cancer elsewhere in the body: the main source of tumors in the spinal bones
A weak immune system: a higher risk of spinal lymphoma
In fact, back strain, posture and injuries do not cause spinal tumors. Still, a fall sometimes leads to the scan that finds one.
Treatment
Spinal Tumor Treatment Options Compared
Treatment depends on the tumor type, its location and the patient's overall health. As a result, a team often combines two or more of the options below.
Option
Best suited for
Main goal
Typical recovery
Microsurgical removal
Most primary tumors inside the dura, such as meningioma, schwannoma and ependymoma
Complete removal and, for many benign tumors, a cure
Walking within a day or two; several days in hospital; weeks of rehabilitation
Decompression and stabilization
Tumors that squeeze the cord or weaken the bone, often metastases
Relieve pressure, protect walking and keep the spine stable
Several days in hospital; radiotherapy usually follows
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SBRT)
Small metastases, leftover tumor, patients who cannot have open surgery
Stop growth with a high, focused dose in one to five sessions
Outpatient; most people continue their daily life
Conventional radiotherapy
Metastases, lymphoma, myeloma, and malignant tumors after surgery
Control pain and growth
Short daily sessions over one to several weeks
Observation with MRI
Small benign tumors without symptoms
Treat only if the tumor grows or causes symptoms
Regular scans, often once a year
Meanwhile, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted drugs treat the cancer behind most metastases. In addition, steroid medicines such as dexamethasone reduce swelling around the cord.
Is surgery always necessary for a spinal tumor?
No. For example, doctors watch small benign tumors with MRI, and many metastases respond to radiotherapy. However, a tumor that squeezes the cord usually needs surgery first.
Your treatment path
From Diagnosis to Recovery
Treatment follows four steps. Each step answers one question, so you always know what comes next.
First, a neurological exam checks strength, feeling, reflexes and walking. Then, an MRI with contrast shows the tumor and its relation to the cord.
MRI is the key test. When spread is possible, doctors image the whole spine.
CT shows bone damage and helps plan screws and rods.
Angiography maps the blood supply of vascular tumors, and embolization can block it before surgery.
Needle biopsy helps when lymphoma, myeloma or a metastasis is likely.
Does a spinal tumor show up on an X-ray?
Sometimes, if the tumor has damaged the bone. However, an X-ray cannot show the spinal cord or most tumors inside the canal. For this reason, doctors rely on MRI.
PlanningSTEP 02
Planning: what is the safest route?
Next, the team studies the scans and chooses the approach, usually from the back. It also sets the goal: complete removal, or relief of pressure.
For metastases, doctors also score spinal stability and weigh the outlook of the cancer. As a result, surgeons and cancer doctors often agree on the plan together.
SurgerySTEP 03
Surgery: removing the tumor, protecting the cord
The surgeon works under an operating microscope through an opening in the back. Throughout the operation, nerve monitoring checks that signals still pass through the cord.
Laminectomy removes the bony arch at the back of the spine. In children and young adults, laminoplasty puts the arch back instead, which lowers the risk of a later curve.
Neuromonitoring tracks motor and sensory signals and warns the team before damage becomes permanent.
Screws and rods stabilize the spine when the tumor or the surgery has weakened it.
How long does spinal tumor surgery take?
Removing a tumor beside the cord often takes a few hours. However, tumors inside the cord, or surgery with screws and rods, take longer.
What are the risks of spinal tumor surgery?
The main risks are new weakness or numbness, a spinal fluid leak, infection and blood clots. Also, some numbness after surgery inside the cord is common and often improves. Nerve monitoring helps the team catch problems early.
RecoverySTEP 04
Recovery and follow-up
Most patients stand up and walk with help within a day or two. Meanwhile, physiotherapy starts right away, and the hospital stay usually lasts several days.
Symptoms improve step by step. Pain often eases first, while strength and feeling recover over weeks to months.
Pathology confirms the tumor type and grade, and then decides whether radiotherapy follows.
Follow-up MRI checks the result, often at three months and then at regular intervals.
News report with English subtitles: a four-year-old boy from Ukraine began walking again with support after spinal cord tumor surgery by Prof. Albayrak.
How long is recovery after spinal tumor surgery?
Many people return to light daily activities within a few weeks. However, strength and feeling may need several months, especially after surgery inside the cord. Rehabilitation also helps at every stage.
When can international patients fly home?
Your surgeon decides this after the post-operative check. In general, patients fly once the wound heals and walking is safe.
Your surgeon
Spinal Cord Tumor Surgery in Istanbul
Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak
Neurosurgeon · Brain, Spinal Cord and Spine Tumor Surgery
Spinal cord surgery is precise work at the scale of millimeters. Therefore, every plan aims to remove the tumor while protecting walking and bladder control.
27+Years
5,000+Operations
64Countries
Figures from Prof. Albayrak's professional profile, September 2026.
Inside the cord, ependymoma leads in adults and astrocytoma in children. In contrast, meningiomas and schwannomas lead beside the cord. Across the whole spine, however, metastases from cancer elsewhere outnumber all of them.
Is a spinal cord tumor curable?
Often, yes. Surgeons can remove many meningiomas, schwannomas and ependymomas completely, which usually ends treatment. However, for tumors that infiltrate the cord, the aim becomes long-term control.
What is the survival rate for spinal cord tumors?
It depends mainly on the tumor type. For example, most people whose benign tumor comes out completely do very well long term. In contrast, survival with metastases depends on the original cancer and its response to treatment.
Which doctor treats spinal cord tumors?
A neurosurgeon who specializes in spinal cord tumors leads treatment, together with oncology and radiation teams. Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak is one such surgeon in Istanbul. He completed advanced surgical training at Harvard Medical School's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Prof. Albayrak's Published Research
Peer-reviewed articles and book chapters written or co-written by Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak on spinal tumors and spinal surgery. Each link opens the record on PubMed or at the publisher. The full list of his 33 publications is on his profile.
This page gives general medical information and does not replace a consultation. Diagnosis and treatment decisions need an examination by your own doctor.
Plan Your Treatment in Istanbul
Request an appointment with Prof. Dr. Serdar Baki Albayrak. The clinical team then guides international patients through every step of the visit.
