In medicine, a tumor means an increase in the volume of a tissue, without specifying the cause. Some are malignant (cancerous) and others benign. What are the symptoms ? Tumor types?
The tumor designates as many cancerous pathologies as dysfunctions of cellular development benign. It exists different types of tumor according to location (brain, bones, muscles, etc.). Tumors do not always manifest as symptoms notables. Hence the importance of consult in case of suspicion. What is a tumour? What is the difference between tumor and cancer? What are the types of tumours? Can a tumor be cured? What treatments to consider?
Definition: what is a tumour?
The word “tumor” is a generic term corresponding to the development of a newly formed tissue within normal tissue. The tumor is caused by the dysfunction of cell development.
What is the difference between malignant tumor and benign tumor?
Contrary to popular belief, the term tumor is used for cancerous pathologies, but also for other productions of a benign nature. “A malignant tumor is a collection of cancerous cells. A benign tumor is not cancer, unlike a malignant tumor. It grows slowly, locally, without producing metastases, and does not recur if it is completely removed.” according to Dr Claudia Ferrari, assistant to the director of the public health and care center of the National Cancer Institute. A cyst can be considered a benign tumor.
What is the difference between primary and secondary tumour?
“A primary tumor is the main tumor from which can escape cancerous cells which will form metastases in other parts of the body. A metastasis is a tumor formed from cancer cells that have detached from a primary tumor and have migrated through lymphatic vessels or blood vessels to another part of the body where they have settled. It’s not another cancer, but the original cancer that has spread“says Dr. Claudia Ferrari.
Tumors do not always cause pain.
What are the types of tumours?
Depending on where they are, tumors take on different names. We thus speak of brain tumor when it appears in the brain, bone tumor when it comes from the bones, from endocrine tumor when it affects the endocrine system, desmoid tumor when it develops from muscles or muscle envelopes.
What are the symptoms of a tumour?
Whether benign or malignant, tumors do not always cause pain. Sometimes, the patient (or his doctor) discovers it unexpectedly during a clinical examination, by palpating a small mass. If the tumor affects a deep organ, it will not be visible to the naked eye or to the touch, but via radiological examinations (MRI, scanner, radiology, ultrasound, etc.). Biological examinations may also be necessary.
What causes a tumour?
The causes of the appearance of a tumor are multiple and often poorly identified. However, in the case of malignant tumors, certain known factors, both external and internal, may come into play: age, lifestyle (every year, 20% of new cases of cancer are linked to tobacco use and 8% at alcohol consumption), family history, environment…
The benignity (non-cancerous nature) or the malignancy (cancer) of a tumor can be evoked according to the aspect found on the imaging tests performed (such as an MRI), but will always be confirmed by carrying out a biopsythat is to say a sample of tissue that will allow its study.
Who to consult for a tumour?
As soon as you feel a suspicious mass, do not wait and go see your doctor who will give you additional tests and refer you to an oncologist if necessary. For malignant tumors, at the origin of cancers, the earlier the diagnosis is made, the lighter the treatments and the better the chances of recovery. The interest of early diagnosis is thus to provide better care, but also to limit the sequelae linked to certain treatments.
Can a tumor be cured?
In the case of a benign tumor, surgical removal may be necessary, especially if it is inconvenient. In other cases, a simple clinical monitoring will be carried out, in order to monitor the evolution. When it is a malignant tumor, “The treatments are multiple and are proposed according to the cancer, its characteristics, its stage… It can be a surgery, whether or not associated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. It can also be a hormone therapy or immunotherapy“. While the prognosis of benign tumors is generally good, that of malignant tumors is less so, especially when they are diagnosed late and the cancer cells have multiplied. However, it is now possible to treat, or even cure, many cancers.
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Thank you to Dr Claudia Ferrari, assistant to the director of the public health and care center of the National Cancer Institute.