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Primary Tumors of the Spine

  • Chapter
Spinal Disorders

Abstract

Approximately 2000 new cases of bone cancer and 6000 new cases of soft tissue tumor are diagnosed in the United Stateseach, year [30]. Of these, only about 5% involve the spine. The incidence of primary spinal tumors has been estimated at 2.5–8.5 per 100000 people per year [15]. Tumors of the lymphoid system, e.g., plasmocytoma, are generally considered in the discussion of spine tumors although they are tumors of the lymphoreticular system. Some bone tumors have a special predilection for the vertebral column (e.g., osteoblastoma), while others occur exclusively in the spine (e.g., chordoma). There are two important clinical features to be considered when evaluating the potential of malignancy of a spine lesion, i.e.:

  • age

  • location

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Forchstr. 340, 8008, Zürich, Schweiz

    Bruno Fuchs

  2. Zentrum für Wirbelsäulen- und Rückenmarkchirurgie, Universität Zürich, Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Forchstr. 340, 8008, Zürich, Schweiz

    Norbert Boos

Authors
  1. Bruno Fuchs
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  2. Norbert Boos
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zentrum für Wirbelsäulen- und Rückenmarkchirurgie, Universität Zürich Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Forchstraße 340, 8008, Zürich, Switzerland

    Norbert Boos

  2. Institut für Evaluative Forschung in Orthopädischer Chirurgie MEM Forschungszentrum, Universität Bern, Stauffacherstraße 78, 3014, Bern, Switzerland

    Max Aebi

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Fuchs, B., Boos, N. (2008). Primary Tumors of the Spine. In: Boos, N., Aebi, M. (eds) Spinal Disorders. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69091-7_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69091-7_33

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-40511-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69091-7

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