A chordoma is a rare type of bone cancer that starts in your spine or the base of your skull. About 35 percent of these types of cancers develop in the skull base, where they are called clival chordomas.
Chordomas usually grow slowly but can be hard to treat because they often grow into nervous system tissue. They also often come back after treatment.
Chordomas affect about one in every one million people in the U.S. each year, and are more likely to occur in people ages 50 to 80 and in men.
Symptoms of a skulls base chordoma include:
- Pain, weakness, and numbness in your limbs or back
- Double or blurry vision
- Headaches
- Facial pain
Departments and Programs Who Treat This Condition
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Sarcoma Program
A program within the Cancer Center providing diagnosis and treatment for sarcoma, which are tumors that grow in bone, muscle, tendons, blood vessels, and other connective tissues,…
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Neurosurgery
A department providing neurosurgical surgery and care, including evaluation and treatment for stroke, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and other conditions affecting the brain and n…
department
Skull Base Surgery Program
A program within the Department of Neurosurgery where a neurosurgeon leads multidisciplinary care for skull base tumors and complex conditions, bringing together specialists to pr…