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Definition

Chordomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).

Description

Chordomas are slow-growing tumors that invade bone and tissue surrounding the spinal column. They rarely spread to other parts of the body, but they can cause considerable damage or death because they destroy bone and soft tissue and often grow along the roots of nerves, putting pressure on the nerves and disrupting their function.

Chordomas appear at the base of the skull about 60% of the time and in the sacrum, located at the base of the spine, about 30% of the time. The other 10% of chordomas can occur anywhere else along the spinal column.