Chordoma Overview
Learn About Chordoma
View Main Condition: Brain Tumor
A chordoma is a rare type of cancerous tumor that can occur anywhere along the spine, from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Chordomas grow slowly, gradually extending into the bone and soft tissue around them. They often recur after treatment, and in about 40 percent of cases the cancer spreads (metastasizes) to other areas of the body, such as the lungs.
Changes in the TBXT gene have been associated with chordoma. An inherited duplication of the TBXT gene identified in a few families is associated with an increased risk of developing a chordoma. Duplications or increases in activity (expression) of the TBXT gene have also been identified in people with chordoma who have no history of the disorder in their family. In these individuals, the changes occur only in the tumor cells and are not inherited.
Chordomas are rare, occurring in approximately 1 per million individuals each year. Chordomas comprise fewer than 1 percent of tumors affecting the brain and spinal cord.
When development of a chordoma is associated with a duplication of the TBXT gene inherited from a parent, one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to increase the risk of the disorder, which is an inheritance pattern called autosomal dominant. People with this duplication inherit an increased risk of this condition, not the condition itself.
MD Anderson
Laurence Rhines is a Neurosurgery specialist and a Surgical Oncologist in Houston, Texas. Dr. Rhines is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chordoma. His top areas of expertise are Chordoma, Bone Tumor, Fractured Spine, Osteotomy, and Vertebroplasty.
Lifespan Physician Group Inc
Ziya Gokaslan is a Neurosurgery provider in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Gokaslan is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chordoma. His top areas of expertise are Tethered Cord Syndrome, Chordoma, Bone Tumor, Laminectomy, and Spinal Fusion.
Memorial Solid Tumor Group
Mrinal Gounder is an Oncologist in New York, New York. Dr. Gounder is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Chordoma. His top areas of expertise are Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Desmoid Tumor, Epithelioid Sarcoma, Liposarcoma, and Liver Embolization.
Background: Chordoma is a rare, slow growing, often fatal bone cancer derived from remnants of the embryonic notochord. It occurs mostly in the axial skeleton (skull base, vertebrae, sacrum and coccyx), is more frequent in males than females, and has a median age at diagnosis of 58.5 years, with a wide age range. This typically sporadic tumor is often advanced at presentation, and mortality is high due to loc...
Summary: This study compares carbon ion therapy, surgery, and proton therapy to determine if one has better disease control and fewer side effects. There are three types of radiation treatment used for pelvic bone sarcomas: surgery with or without photon/proton therapy, proton therapy alone, and carbon ion therapy alone. The purpose of this study is to compare quality of life among patients treated for pel...
Published Date: May 01, 2015
Published By: National Institutes of Health