Chordoma Tumor Treatment Cost in India

Chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that most commonly affects the spine or skull bones. It usually appears where the skull sits atop the spine (skull base) or at the bottom of the spine (spine base) (sacrum). Chordoma develops in cells that were formerly part of a group of cells in the developing embryo that later become the spine’s discs. The majority of these cells die before or shortly after you are born. However, a few of these cells may persist and, in rare cases, become malignant. Chordoma treatment in India is determined by cancer’s size and location, as well as if it has spread to nerves or other tissues. Surgery, radiation therapy, radiosurgery, and targeted therapy are all possible options.

The chordoma treatment cost in India depends upon multiple factors like duration of stay in the hospital, patient’s overall health, and location of the hospital.

What Is Chordoma?

Chordomas are malignant (cancerous) tumors of the spine and skull that are unusual. Every year, around one person in a million, is affected by these malignancies. Chordoma makes up 1-4% of all primary bone tumors.

Chordomas are known for their sluggish growth. They are frequently found in the anterior (front) section of the spine or at the base of the skull. They can happen anywhere along the spine.

The sacrum (base of the spine), the tailbone (coccyx), and the point where the spine enters the skull are all common places (skull base). The clivus is a bone located behind the back of the throat but in front of the brainstem. Chordomas there are called clival chordomas.

Adults between the ages of 40 and 70 are the most common victims of these malignancies. Children account for a modest percentage (about 5%). Chordomomas affect men twice as often as they do women.

The lungs, liver, bones, and lymph nodes are the most common places chordomas move to other regions of the body (metastasize). Metastasis usually only occurs when the primary tumor has advanced and is rarely reported at the time of initial diagnosis.

What Are the Symptoms of Chordoma?

Tumors of the spinal cord can generate a variety of signs and symptoms, especially as they progress. Tumors in your spine may affect your spinal cord, nerve roots, blood vessels, or bones. The following are possible signs and symptoms of chordoma: 

• Headaches
• Double vision
• Weakness of the nerves or muscles in the back, arms, or legs
• Pain 
• Nosebleeds
• A running nose
• Problems with the bowels or bladder
• Difficulty in walking, sometimes leading to fall
• Pain at the tumor spot due to the growth of the tumor
• Feeling less sensitive to pain, heat, or cold
• Loss of sensation

Chordoma tumors commonly cause back pain as an early symptom. Pain can also migrate to your hips, legs, feet, or arms, and it can get worse over time despite treatment.

The pace of progression of spinal tumors varies depending on the type of tumor.

What Are the Causes of Chordoma Tumor?

There is evidence that inheriting an altered gene from a parent can increase a person’s risk of causing chordoma. Other cases of chordoma, on the other hand, occur in individuals who have no family history of the disease.

There is evidence that children with the genetic disease tuberous sclerosis complex are more likely to develop chordomas.

Chordoma tumors can compress spinal nerves, causing loss of movement or sensation below the tumor’s position. Changes in bowel and bladder function can occur as a result of this. Nerve injury may be permanent.

It may be able to avoid further loss of function and recover nerve function if diagnosed early and treated aggressively. Depending on its location, a tumor that presses against the spinal cord itself may be life-threatening.

How the Diagnosis of Chordoma Tumor is done?

A lump may be observed occasionally, especially towards the base of the spine. Lesions can also be seen on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in some situations.

To diagnose a chordoma and distinguish it from other forms of tumors, a biopsy will be performed. The chordoma can be classified into three kinds according to how the tissue is studied under a microscope: 

• Conventional Chordoma (or classic)

• Chondroid Chordoma

• Dedifferentiated Chordoma (also called sarcomatous)

The most prevalent chordomas are conventional chordomas. They are slow-growing but cancerous. The growth of a chondroid chordoma is considerably slower than that of a normal chordoma. The majority of them are situated at the base of the skull. Chordomas that are dedifferentiated grow swiftly.

Chordomas are recognized by two types of markers: 

• Cytokeratins

• Brachyury

because radiological examination can be ambiguous. The brachyury protein is also seen in masses that have grown from the notochord, an embryo’s support structure. CT and MRI scans are also used to develop strategies for chordoma treatment in India.