Chordoma Treatment

Chordoma is a slow-growing but highly aggressive rare tumor, most common in people aged 30 to 60, though it can also occur in children. Tumors are often located at the skull base, cervical spine, or sacrococcygeal region, with severe consequences once nerves are compressed. Once diagnosed, treatment must begin immediately, as delays may lead to permanent neurological damage or even paralysis. Treatment includes immunotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy, and missing the optimal treatment window may result in the loss of conservative surgical options.

Emerging Treatment Methods

Immune Reconstruction Cell Therapy

Immune reconstruction cell therapy is an emerging strategy that modifies and activates the patient’s own immune cells to recognize and clear chordoma cells. It is particularly effective for recurrent or residual tumors, especially in cases with unclear surgical margins or recurrence after radiotherapy. This method has strong targeting ability and relatively low side effects, improving long-term control rates.

① Use of CAR-T cells or CIK cells to enhance specific anti-tumor effects.

② Can be combined with radiotherapy to increase immune sensitivity.

③ Helps reduce residual lesions after surgery and lowers recurrence rates.

④ Some patients may delay progression and achieve stable control for several years.

In actual treatment, patients undergoing surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy often face immune dysfunction, increased infection risk, and slow recovery. To help patients better tolerate treatment, enhance endurance, and improve quality of life, phased immune reconstruction programs must be scientifically developed for different cycles.

● Short-term plan: Rapidly enhance immunity through immune cell reinfusion to strengthen anti-tumor effects.

● Mid-term plan: Reduce side effects of conventional treatments, promote recovery, and ensure completion of standardized therapy.

● Long-term plan: Comprehensive enhancement of immunity through immune cell reconstruction, gut immunity restoration, elemental immunity rebuilding, and immune nutrition support, thereby improving quality of life and prolonging survival.

Conventional Treatment Methods

1. Surgical Resection

Surgery is currently the primary treatment, with the goal of achieving "en bloc resection." However, due to the tumor’s proximity to nervous tissue, complete resection is difficult. Modern surgery incorporates intraoperative navigation, microsurgical techniques, and neuroelectrophysiological monitoring to improve precision and reduce risks.

2. Minimally Invasive Interventions

For some sacrococcygeal lesions or early cases, percutaneous radiofrequency ablation or vertebroplasty can be used as adjunct therapy. These methods involve less trauma, faster recovery, and are suitable for frail patients or those with recurrent disease. However, their depth is limited, mainly serving as palliative control.

3. Radiotherapy

Proton or heavy ion radiotherapy is effective for chordoma, especially for postoperative residual lesions. Its precision targeting reduces damage to the spinal cord and brainstem, and it is often used as a postoperative adjuvant or conservative alternative therapy.

4. Molecular Targeted Therapy

Multi-target inhibitors of VEGFR and PDGFR, such as sunitinib or pazopanib, have entered clinical use. These drugs can stabilize disease progression in patients who are unsuitable for surgery or have poor radiotherapy response.

5. Rehabilitation and Follow-up Management

After treatment, regular imaging follow-up is required to monitor recurrence. Neurorehabilitation can aid in restoring motor and sensory functions. In addition, psychological support and lifestyle adjustments are equally important for recovery.

Conclusion

Experts at United Life International Medical Center state that chordoma treatment requires scientific judgment, timely intervention, and multimodal integration. Immune reconstruction cell therapy, surgery, and radiotherapy complement each other and are key to improving quality of life and extending survival. Individualized treatment planning and long-term monitoring are essential.