WW, has he had cancer somewhere else in his body? read this carefully....if he hasn't, this could be a primary tumor....usually benign..how old is? please type in the "terms" that the doctor has used about what he "thinks" this tumor could be and i can help you more........i did some research and found the below....pat

(Tumors of the spine itself may be either primary or metastatic. Primary tumors are often benign and generally occur in patients younger than 30 years of age. Primary spinal tumors are rare, accounting for less than 0.1 % of all tumors, and about 10% of all bony tumors. The most common primary tumors of the cervical spine are osteochondromas, osteoid osteomas, giant cell tumors, hemangiomas, and osteoblastomas, and tend to be benign. Common malignant primary tumors of the cervical spine include plasmacytoma, osteosarcoma, chordoma, chondrosarcoma, and lymphoma.

Metastatic tumors of the spine are much more common than primary tumors. They grow faster and may appear in multiple areas of the spine. Approximately 25-33% of all patients with metastases will have some spinal involvement. The most common cancers that metastasize to the spine include lung, breast, and prostate. Other tumors that can cause spinal metastases include kidney, thyroid, and colon. )