Overview

Chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the bones of the spine or the skull. It most often forms where the skull sits atop the spine, called the skull base, or at the bottom of the spine, called the sacrum.

Chordoma begins in cells that help form the spine before birth. The cells typically become the disks of the spine. If any of these cells are left over when a baby is born, they typically go away soon after birth. But sometimes a few of these cells stay and, rarely, they can become cancerous.

Chordoma usually grows slowly. It can be difficult to treat because a chordoma can grow very close to the spinal cord and other important structures, such as arteries, nerves or the brain. This cancer often comes back after treatment.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of chordoma may include:

  • Headache.
  • Neck pain.
  • Vision trouble, including blurred or double vision or vision loss.
  • Trouble with balance.
  • Hearing loss.
  • Facial paralysis.
  • Muscle weakness.
  • Trouble swallowing.
  • Shortness of breath.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other healthcare professional if you have any symptoms that worry you.

Causes

It's not clear what causes most chordomas. This cancer most often starts in the bones in the skull or spine.

Chordoma happens when cells in the bones develop changes in their DNA. A cell's DNA holds the instructions that tell the cell what to do. In healthy cells, the DNA gives instructions to grow and multiply at a set rate. The instructions tell the cells to die at a set time. In cancer cells, the DNA changes give different instructions. The changes tell the cancer cells to grow and multiply quickly. Cancer cells can keep living when healthy cells would die. This causes too many cells.

The cancer cells form a mass called a tumor. The tumor can grow to invade and destroy healthy body tissue. In time, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body. When cancer spreads, it's called metastatic cancer.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase the risk of chordoma include:

  • Age. Chordoma can happen at any age. Most often, however, this cancer happens in people ages 40 to 60.
  • Family history. People with a family history of chordoma may have a greater chance of developing it.
By Mayo Clinic Staff