What is the difference between tumors and cancer

What is the difference between benign and malignant cancer? What are "locally invasive cancer" and "metastatic cancer"? Cancer is malignant because it can be "locally invasive" and "metastatic": Locally invasive cancer —The tumor can invade the tissues surrounding it by sending out "fingers" of cancerous cells into the normal tissue.

Metastatic cancer —The tumor can send cells into other tissues in the body, which may be distant from the original tumor. What are primary tumors? Previous Section Next Section. Condition Spotlight. Sugar and Health - the Sweet, the Sour, and the Sticky! Play Video How Can I Care for Myself? Clinical Trials for Cancer Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment.

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Clinical Trials. MyHealth Login. Financial Assistance. Medical Records. Contact Us. Video Visits. Get a Second Opinion. Metaplasia means that there has been a change to the types of cells that are normally found in this area of the body. Dysplasia is a precancerous condition. Carcinoma in situ is the most severe type of precancerous change.

The cells are very abnormal but have not grown into nearby tissue. Carcinoma in situ is usually treated because it has a high risk of developing into cancer.

People with precancerous conditions are usually checked regularly, so they can be treated quickly if cell changes become more severe or turn into cancer. Home Cancer information What is cancer? Types of tumours. See topics What is cancer? Types of cancer Human body Immune system Lymphatic system Blood and bone marrow Endocrine system and hormones Female sex organs and reproductive system Male sex organs and reproductive system How cancer starts, grows and spreads Types of tumours Genes and cancer Stage and grade Prognosis and survival What causes cancer?

What is cancer? Cancerous tumours. A tumour is cancerous when it: grows into nearby tissues has cells that can break away and travel through the blood or lymphatic system and spread to lymph nodes and distant parts of the body Cancer that spreads from the first place it started called the primary tumour to a new part of the body is called metastatic cancer. It is not always clear how a tumor will act in the future. Some benign tumors can become premalignant and then malignant.

For this reason, it is best to monitor any growth. However, they can cause pain or other problems if they press against nerves or blood vessels or if they trigger the overproduction of hormones, as in the endocrine system.

Adenomas develop in glandular epithelial tissue, which is the thin membrane that covers glands, organs, and other structures in the body. Adenomas do not start as cancer. However, some can change and become adenocarcinomas, which are cancerous. Learn more about fibroadenomas of the breast here. Fibroids , or fibromas, are benign tumors that can grow on the fibrous or connective tissue of any organ.

Some fibromas can cause symptoms and may need surgery. In rare cases, fibroids can change and become fibrosarcomas. These are cancerous. Learn more about dermatofibromas. They are often present at birth and disappear during childhood. Hemangiomas do not usually need treatment, but laser surgery and other options are available if they do not go away.

Find out more here about internal hemangiomas. Lipomas are a form of soft tissue tumor and consist of fat cells. Most lipomas are small, painless, rubbery, soft to the touch, and movable. They often appear on the back, shoulders, arms, buttocks, and the tops of the legs. Types of lipoma include fibrolipomas, which contain fat cells and fibrous connective tissue, and angiolipomas, which appear under the skin.

Find out more about angiolipomas here. Sometimes, actinic keratosis will transform into squamous cell carcinoma , so doctors usually recommend treating it. In cervical dysplasia, a change occurs in the cells that line the cervix.

A doctor may find these cells during a Pap smear. Cervical dysplasia often stems from the human papillomavirus HPV , an infection that is common in young people. The cells are not cancerous, but they may become malignant 10—30 years later, resulting in cervical cancer. A surgeon may remove the cells using freezing techniques or by taking a cone of tissue from the cervix. These growths occur in the bronchi, the tubes that carry air into the lungs. The lining of the bronchi contains glandular cells.

In some people, including smokers, these can change and become squamous cells, or cancer. They should also monitor the patches for changes and quit smoking or chewing tobacco, if relevant. If a doctor believes that the patches could become cancerous, they may use a laser or surgical scalpel to remove them.