Giant cell = a type of cell formed when individual cells merge
Tumor = an abnormal growth
A giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone is a benign (noncancerous) bone tumor that typically develops near the joints of the knee, wrist, shoulder, or spine. At The Spine Hospital at The Neurological Institute of New York, we specialize in giant cell tumors of the spine.
The spine is composed of bones called vertebrae. The cervical vertebrae are located in the neck; the thoracic vertebrae are in the upper and middle back, and the lumbar vertebrae form the spine in the lower back. Below the lumbar vertebrae, at the base of the spine, are several vertebrae fused into one bone called the sacrum. Giant cell tumors can occur at any of these spinal levels–the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, or the sacrum.
Bone tumors are classified as primary or secondary. Primary bone tumors arise originally from bone tissue, while secondary bone tumors have spread to the bone from a tumor elsewhere. GCTs are primary bone tumors. In the United States, GCTs make up about 5% of all primary bone tumors.
The benign nature of GCTs means that they tend not to spread. Rarely, however, they do spread to the lungs. But even this spread is usually “benign”: the tumor does not spread anywhere else in the body, and can be removed successfully from the lung. It is possible, but rare, for GCTs to become malignant (cancerous).
Giant cell tumors get their name from a type of cell in the tumor. “Giant cells” form when many other cells merge. They are also found in other bone tumors, as well as in normal bone. But a giant cell tumor has many of these giant cells intermixed with more typical cells.
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