Sacral Tumors

Before understanding the medical condition, first, let us understand the position of occurrence of the tumors. The sacrum is the portion of the spine that comes after the lumbar region and above the coccyx, generally known as the tailbone. Tumors that occur in the sacrum region of the spine are known as sacral tumors.

Sacral tumors can be classified into various types based on their origin of occurrence including bones, tissues, nerves, or blood vessels. Two types of sacral tumors are-

1. Primary Sacral Tumors – Their point of origin is inside the sacrum of the spine. The nature of the tumor can either be cancerous or non-cancerous.
2. Metastatic Sacral Tumors- These tumors occur in other parts of the body and with time spread to the sacrum region. They are cancerous in nature.

The symptoms of occurrence of sacral tumors vary depending on their specialization. The symptoms include-

• Pain in the entire lower back
• Problem while standing up or walking
• Weakness in legs
• Unusual loss of weight
• Disorder in the bowel function

Images obtained through X-rays or various other scanning methods are important to understand the nature of the tumor. It is important to conduct a biopsy to find out whether the tumor is cancerous or not. Surgery is conducted as a part of the treatment procedure for either removing the tumors or the entire sacrum based on the patient’s condition. In the case of malignant tumors,chemotherapy or other radiation is crucial for removing the tumors and bringing a positive shift in the patient’s life.