“Both herniated disc and tumors can present with symptoms that are consistent with the nerve compression,” says Charles Park, MD, Director of The Minimally Invasive Brain and Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“However, the pain from herniated disc gets better with rest, but the pain from tumor may get worse at night, laying down,” adds Dr. Park, a neurosurgeon.
Will the pain from a tumor subside, however, with daytime rest, as in resting in a recliner chair?
Dr. Park says, “Usually, pain from tumor does not get better with daytime rest.”
However, he adds that heat, ice, ultrasound and massage will yield temporary relief of pain.
What symptom description might a patient tell a neurosurgeon/spine surgeon that would make the surgeon suspect a tumor vs. a herniated disk?
“The most important is the pain that doesn’t get better with rest at night.” says Dr. Park.
Resting at night in bed relieves the area of the forces of gravity.
When a Doctor Suspects Cancer
When doctors are presented with a patient complaining of pain that seems to be from a herniated disc, the doctor doesn’t automatically suspect cancer unless the patient reports that it does not respond to rest and gets worse at night.
“The spinal tumor is much less frequent than the disc problems,” says Dr. Park.
Tumors in the spine account for about 10-15% of all central nervous system tumors.
Primary spinal cord tumors, which originate in the spine itself, are even rarer, with an estimated incidence of two to 10 cases per 100,000 people annually.
These can occur in the spinal cord, nerve roots or surrounding structures.
Interestingly, most spinal tumors are the result of a primary cancer elsewhere in the body that hahs spread.
However, primary spinal tumors are often benign — but can still cause serious symptoms due to their location.
Because they are rare, diagnosis may be delayed, especially in early stages when symptoms, such as back pain, can mimic more common conditions — such as a herniated disc.
“But when we order MRI for disc problems, the tumor will be visible as well, if present,” says Dr. Park.
