“Can tumors be removed without surgery?”
My friend has a tumor in a very delicate area on his spinal cord, and his doctor doesn't think they can remove it with surgery without damaging his spinal cord. Are there ways to remove a tumor without surgery?
4 Answers
Not really, but there are some tumors that can be treated effectively with radiation therapy. They may come back (recur) however with either modality.
Not really. Cancer cells can be killed or shrunk with chemo therapy and or radiation. Will need to discuss options with your oncologist.
Interesting question. The answer can be quite complex. In short, some tumors can be treated without surgery, but it depends on the type of cancer. Some cancers are very sensitive to chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy and others are sensitive to radiation therapy. If your friend has a tumor that can respond to these types of treatments then these might be good options. Remember that all treatments have some side effects. Many tumors may respond partially or not at all to chemotherapy and radiation and that is when surgery is required. The question that needs to be asked is: Does the risk of surgery outweigh the benefit of removing the tumor? If your friend becomes paralyzed after surgery, then this may not be a viable option.
As with all cancer diagnoses and treatment plans, I do recommend a second opinion from another specialist to corroborate or refute the plan that you were given.
Mark I. Gimbel, MD
As with all cancer diagnoses and treatment plans, I do recommend a second opinion from another specialist to corroborate or refute the plan that you were given.
Mark I. Gimbel, MD
This is a highly specialized area in Neurosurgery and not an answer I can provide. For these highly complex problems a second opinion at a tertiary care center would be a good idea
