Tumours of the spinal column and sacrum

Tumours of the spinal column and the adjacent soft, spinal, and paraspinal tissues make up a very heterogeneous group of neoplasms.

The definition of the therapeutic approach (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) to tumours of the spinal column and sacrum depends on various factors involving the illness itself and the patient’s general condition.

There are many advantages to proton therapy because the treatment reduces the collateral effects even when the radiation dose delivered to the tumour is very high.

Proton beam therapy causes few acute side effects and, therefore the body tolerates it well. In the event or benign neoplasms or highly curable malignant tumours that guarantee a long life expectancy, patients can benefit from the absence of long-term collateral effects.

If, on the other hand, it is a more aggressive neoplasm, a significantly high dose of radiation can be delivered. In fact, protons can also be used in very difficult situations and even a second radiation cycle, if necessary. 

The Trento Proton Therapy Centre evaluates and performs:

• Treatment of primitive bony and cartilaginous tumours of the spine, both as a first diagnosis and a relapse after previous other treatments: chondromas, chondrosarcomas, osteosarcomas, chordomas (malignant tumour) and more rare diseases;
• Treatment of primitive tumours of soft tissue adjacent to the spine, both as a first diagnosis and a relapse after previous other treatments: fibroids, fibrosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, liposarcomas and more rare diseases;
• Treatment of primitive tumours of the nervous tissue, internal and adjacent to the spine, both as a first diagnosis and a relapse after previous other treatments: neurinomas, malignant tumours of peripheral nerve sheaths and more rare diseases;
• Treatment of secondary tumours in the spine and adjacent soft tissues, both as a first diagnosis and a relapse after previous other treatments.