What is the difference between a benign and a cancerous tumor

What is the difference between a benign tumor and a cancerous tum…?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090121181655AAIE8pK

The big difference is whether the cancer will metastasise or not. Metastasis is the spreading of the cancer from its original location to other locations in the body – causing “secondary tumours” elsewhere. A benign tumour can sti…

What is the difference between a benign brain tumor and a maligna…?

http://www.braintumor.org/BrainTumorFAQ/#q3547

Benign brain tumors are slow-growing tumors that can be removed or destroyed if in an accessible location. Malignant tumors (brain cancer) are rapidly growing tumors that invade or infiltrate and destroy normal brain tissue. No one is certa…

What is the difference between a benign tumor and cancer??

http://pinkpawsforlife.org/?page_id=17

A benign tumor is not cancerous – it grows slowly.   If you remove it, it doesn’t return. However, if it is in the wrong place (like deep in the brain), it can still kill.  Cancer is a malignant tumor, which invades tissues aggressively.  I…

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

What is the difference between a benign tumor and a cancerous tumor?

Q: What is the difference between a benign tumor and a cancerous tumor? And please don’t say that a cancerous tumor has cancerous cells, why are those cells considered cancerous?

A: The big difference is whether the cancer will metastasise or not.Metastasis is the spreading of the cancer from its original location to other locations in the body – causing “secondary tumours” elsewhere.A benign tumour can still be life-threatening, depending on its location and size. For example, a non-metastatic tumour in the brain is still going to interfere with brain function, squeezing other bits of the brain, using-up blood and oxygen, etc.The whole benign/malignant thing is why some tumours are considered more “serious” than others. Breast cancer, for example, should on the face of it not be considered too serious: the breast is not a vital organ, so even if there is a large and unsightly tumour there, it shouldn’t be life-threatening. But breast cancers are very prone to metastasis – particularly to the lungs. since the lungs *are* a vital organ, cancers there will likely kill you, so breast cancer is taken very seriously.Edit:*all* tumours are cancerous. The distinction you are asking about is between “benign” and “malignant” cancers.

What is the difference between benign and cancerous tumours? READ MY ADDITIONAL DETAIL.?

Q: READ THIS. DO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION WITHOUT READING THIS.I’ve had this explained to me before, but I still don’t understand it. As I’ve been told, cancer is just cells that replicate too much, forming a tumour. The tumour is fed nutrients, and the body doesn’t get enough because it’s feeding a useless parasite (tumour). But then, what about benign tumours? My science teacher says the difference is cancer spreads to large areas of the body. But I know someone can have benign tumours on over 80% of their body, in skin, fat, and bone, and not have cancer. What is the difference? Is it the rate of growth? You’d think that having enormous benign tumours would leech more energy than having small cancerous tumours… and whenever you hear about cancer, it’s small, a ‘lump’ rather than a twenty-pound mass like benign tumours can be.READ THIS. DO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION WITHOUT READING THIS. I do not want the same uninformative answers I’ve had before.Edit: Jandy, why do cancerous tumours which are small pose a large risk, where benign tumours that are large pose no risk (unless messing with internal organs)? If cancer kills you by leeching energy, shouldn’t the biggest tumours be the most dangerous?

A: You are basing your question on misconceptions. Cancerous tumors are not always small.The amount of energy cancerous tumors consume is not what kills people.Anything that invades 80% of your body will pose a problem.All cells need energy. Cancer cells need more energy than normal cells because they reproduce faster. Just like professional athletes need more food (energy) than regular people do. Cancer cells also lose their ability to die when they are supposed to so they form a tumor. These cells invade the tissue of the organ they are in causing it to malfunction. When the cancer spreads to other organs it does the same thing causing multiple organs to malfunction and all of the organs have to work harder to try to keep the body working right. Eventually one of them breaks and this is what kills the person. Benign tumors do not invade organs. When they cause problems it is often due to the amount of space they take.

Difference Between Fat and Cancerous Tumors?

Q: While grooming my Shepherd/Collie mix last night I found what I believe is a tumor under the skin. I showed my mom to get a second opinion and she felt the same thing. Now he recently lost a bunch of weight after being overweight for a couple years. My mom told me that because of that, there’s a possibility that it is only a fatty tumor and to not put too much thought into something that may be nothing. I think, though, that she said simply because she didn’t want me to worry myself sick (which I would do). He’s going on five years old if that might be helpful.I wanted to know if there was any way to tell the difference between a fatty or benign tumor and a cancerous or malignant tumor? I’m pretty sure that getting it biopsied it the only way, but I just wanted to know. What do you think the chances of it being cancer are? Is it even possible to feel a cancerous tumor from under the skin? Thanks.He lost the weight because I put him on a diet and exercised him. I don’t believe it was due to any health problems. And he has always been very healthy. Well thank you all for the advice. I’ll see about getting him to the vet.

A: Cancerous tumors, or malignant tumors, spread. Cancer means that it can spread to other parts of the body where is can become more serious, such as the lungs.Benign tumors (I am not sure if this is the same as a fatty tumor or if a fatty tumor is a type of benign tumor) do not spread. They can still be a problem since they can continue to grow crowding other organs, or making it difficult to carry out daily tasks, but since they won’t invade other organs they generally aren’t as serious.I think he only way to tell the difference is to get a biopsy (they remove part of the tissue and examine it) done, though the vet may be able to guess by palpating it. Make an appointment.