The pediatrician suspects our 10-year old daughter may have a tumor in her neck. We are scheduled for an MRI tomorrow. What are the chances of this being something serious?

Age is a very telling factor when it comes to spinal tumors. Most tumors that start in the cervical spine (neck) are benign when the patient is younger than 20 years old. Malignancy is much more likely as we age and most common in older adults.

But a benign tumor can be a serious condition. The size and location can cause major complications. Pressure on blood vessels or the nerves can cause disabling symptoms. Surgery may be needed to remove the tumor.

The surgeon’s goal is to remove the tumor en bloc. This means the entire tumor with a margin of normal tissue around the tumor is cut away carefully. The surgeon will follow-up with you and your daughter to make sure there are no signs of cancer recurrence.