Neoplasms of the spine

Although the treatment of central nervous system neoplasms generally is unrewarding, some animals with spinal neoplasia may, for a variety of reasons, be successfully managed for extended periods of time. The veterinary profession has greater experience with spinal surgery than with intracranial surgery. As a result, surgeons are more willing to attempt and more successful at removing or debulking spinal neoplasms. Additionally, there are more affordable and accessible diagnostic procedures available to evaluate the spinal cord than there are to evaluate the brain. Finally, the majority of tumors that affect the spinal cord are extramedullary and are therefore amenable to attempts to remove them surgically.