“Is my tumour benign or malignant?” is a question that haunts many of us as we wait for a scan or biopsy result.
What is a tumour?
A tumour is a mass of tissue that is formed by an accumulation of abnormal cells. Normally, the cells in your body age, die and are replaced by new cells. When something disrupts this cycle, a tumour results. Tumour cells grow, even though the body does not need them and, unlike normal old cells, they don’t die. As this process goes on, the tumour continues to grow as more and more cells are added to the mass.
Benign tumours
A benign tumour or mass is one that may be a nuisance but is not usually considered dangerous. For example, uterine fibroids are a common benign tumour, frequently found in women who are perimenopausal (the time just before and after menopause).
Benign tumours can often be successfully removed by surgery and they seldom return. They rarely spread to other parts of the body, often have well-defined borders and are typically slow growing. However, the location of a benign tumour can be as life threatening as a malignant tumour. For instance, benign brain tumours can be considered malignant if they are located in areas of the brain that control vital functions such as breathing.
Malignant tumours
Malignant tumours are cancerous and consist of cells that grow out of control. Cells in these tumours can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body either locally via the bloodstream or through the lymphatic system.
Sometimes cells move away from the original (primary) cancer site and spread to other organs and bones where they can continue to grow and form another tumour at that site. This is known as metastasis or secondary cancer. Metastases keep the name of the original cancer location. For example, pancreatic cancer that has spread to the liver is still called pancreatic cancer. Malignant tumours can be life threatening.
Sources
http://lungcancer.about.com
www.abta.org/understanding-brain-tumors
www.pancreaticcanceraction.org
www.webmd.com