Chondrosarcoma of the spine--report of two cases.

Chondrosarcoma arising from the spine is a rare malignant tumour, associated with a poor outlook due to inadequate excision in the majority of the cases. We report two cases arising from the cervical and the thoracic spine. Both survived 15 and eight years respectively. This condition carries with it a grave prognosis because of its proximity to the vital structures, making complete extirpation of the tumour frequently difficult if not impossible. Recent developments and progress in adjuvant radiation therapy has improved the prognosis significantly.