Abstract
Tumors of the spine comprise a heterogeneous group of neoplasms that can be characterized by their pathology, anatomic location, and degree of invasiveness. The majority of spine tumors encountered by clinicians are metastatic, accounting for approximately 70% of all spine tumors [1]. Less frequently encountered neoplasms of the spine and spinal cord include primary lesions such as meningiomas, schwannomas, osseous tumors of the spine, ependymomas, and gliomas. At the time of death, approximately 70% to 90% of all terminal cancer patients have evidence of metastatic disease on postmortem examination [2]–4], with the spinal column being the most common site for bony metastases [5]. Each year, an estimated 18,000 patients will be diagnosed with metastatic spine disease [6], [7]. Metastatic lesions most frequently originate from primary tumors in the breast, lung, and prostate [5], [8]–[10]. Frequent clinical presentations include back pain and symptoms from spinal cord/nerve root compression, resulting in pain and disability. Furthermore, it is likely that the observed incidence of metastatic spine disease will continue to increase over the next several decades, as diagnostic capabilities improve [11], [12].