ABSTRACT

Chordomas are aggressive, locally invasive and rare tumors with a poor prognosis. They arise from the remnants of the embryonic notochord. They occur in the whole vertebral column, and are most commonly seen in the sacrum, the base of the skull and the mobile spine. They are usually diagnosed at a late stage with advanced growth. These tumors are minimally responsive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and so the main treatment is surgical resection. Survival and local control of the tumor depend on the achievement of wide resection of the tumor with appropriate surgical margins. Due to the essential anatomical localization of the tumors, the generally high stage of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, and the need for resection of important structures during surgery, a high rate of postoperative morbidity may be present.