Library · Neoplasm
Benign tumor
Make it clearer
A benign tumor is a mass of cells that is not cancer. It forms because a group of cells multiplies more than it should, or because it does not die when it is supposed to, and that buildup ends up creating a lump that has no reason to be there.
Benign means that lump does not invade what surrounds it and does not travel to other parts of the body, and even so it is not always harmless: some grow so much that they get in the way, like a piece of furniture that kept growing inside a small room until it no longer let the door open, and serious symptoms come out of that. It helps to be clear that the word tumor, on its own, says nothing more than this, that there is a mass. Whether it is benign or malignant is settled later, based on how it behaves.
In brief
A benign tumor is an abnormal mass of cells that is not cancer. The mass forms when cells grow more than they should or fail to die when they should.
Although benign tumors do not invade or spread, some can grow very large and cause serious symptoms.
The word tumor describes a mass; that mass then has to be classified as benign or malignant based on how it behaves.
Sources (2)
- National Cancer InstituteDefinition of tumor
- National Cancer InstituteWhat Is Cancer?
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated