Tumors of the spine can be described as primary, meaning that the tumor originated from cells normally found in the spine, or metastatic, cells from another area of the body that have spread to the spine. Metastatic tumors are more common than primary tumors. Tumors of the spine can press against the spinal cord and interfere with information traveling down from the brain to the nerves of the spinal cord. As a result, patients with spinal tumors can suffer from loss of movement and sensation within areas of the body below the tumor. In addition, tumors of the spine are typically painful conditions.