Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen Is a Tumor Cancer?TestingSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentRecurrence

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

When Is a Tumor Cancer?

Testing

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment

Recurrence

A tumor, or neoplasm, is abnormal tissue that develops because of excessive cell growth. Tumors can be either benign (noncancerous) ormalignant(cancerous and likely to spread to other parts of the body).

Types of Tumor Illustration diagram

Benign tumorstypically grow more gradually and don’t spread. Also, they don’t often cause symptoms unless they become very large or develop in sensitive body parts, such as the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and nerves).

Types of Tumor

Tumors can develop and spread to anywhere in the body, including tissue as well as the blood, skin, organs, and lymph glands. They can be benign, malignant, or precancerous. A precancerous tumor could become malignant over time.

Some common types of benign tumors are:

Malignant tumors often affect the:

Finally, some examples of precancerous tumors are:

Tumor markers are biomarkers, measurable molecules found in the tumor itself, blood, or body secretions that can provide crucial information about whether you have cancer, the type of cancer it is, and, sometimes, how much it has progressed.

Other tumor markers are genetic mutations. Certain mutations can affect any gene involved in cancer starting or progressing. People with congenital (inherited) or acquired changes in these genes may be more likely to develop some kinds of cancerous tumors.

Characteristics and Symptoms

Some tumors cause few or no symptoms. Others have telltale signs and characteristics. The following are the typical appearance and sensations of common tumors, as well as how they form.

Appearance

You may not notice a tumor at all at first, especially if it’s internal. Visible signs of a tumor may include:

You may only be able to feel your tumor if you apply pressure or during certain activities, such as bending over or lifting. You might also notice skin changes, whether it’s a bleeding lump or a scaly growth.

Sensation

Many benign tumors are asymptomatic (i.e., show no symptoms). However, if they grow larger, they might press on surrounding body parts near the affected area. This might be painful or lead to symptoms like difficulty breathing (for example, if the tumor pushes on the lungs).

If you have a malignant tumor, whether internal or external, it may feel painful, swollen, or tender.Other symptoms of a cancerous tumor may include:

Formation

Tumors develop when cells grow abnormally. That may involve cells that divide too quickly, leading to excessive growth, as well as cells that don’t die off when they should. Most cancers are associated with aging and appear after age 50.

There are many risk factors for developing a malignant tumor. Examples include:

Tumor Biopsy for Diagnosis

If your healthcare provider suspects that you have a tumor, they may perform abiopsyto check if it is cancerous or not. A biopsy involves removing a small sample of the affected area (often with a needle) and examining it more closely.

To make a definitive diagnosis, you may also be asked to undergo other tests. These may include:

Treatment At a Glance

If you have a tumor, your healthcare team will devise an individualized treatment plan based on the type of tumor you have, its size, your symptoms, and other risk factors.

For example, if you have a small benign tumor that isn’t causing symptoms, it may not need to be treated at all. If your tumor is malignant or precancerous (likely to develop into cancer), or if a noncancerous tumor is in a more dangerous part of your body, such as the brain, then it will likely need to be removed.

Possible treatment options to remove your tumor and prevent it from spreading or coming back include:

When Do Tumors Recur?

This may happen because the cancer spreads to a different part of the body and starts forming a new tumor. It can also occur because the entire tumor wasn’t successfully removed during treatment or because some malignant cells broke off from the rest of the tissue. You may need further treatment(s) to remove the recurring tumor.

Summary

If your tumor is cancerous or is affecting your quality of life, you may need to undergo surgery to remove it. Other possible treatments for malignant tumors include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted cancer medications. If you suspect that you may have a tumor, reach out to a healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation and biopsy.

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Tumor.American Cancer Society.What is cancer?Patel A.Benign vs malignant tumors.JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(9):1488. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2592National Cancer Institute.Tumor list.National Cancer Institute.Tumor markers. Last updated: December 7, 2023.National Cancer Institute.Tumor necrosis factor.American Cancer Society.Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cancer.Cancer Research UK.Age and cancer.MedlinePlus.Tumor.Cancer Research UK.Why some cancers come back.

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Tumor.American Cancer Society.What is cancer?Patel A.Benign vs malignant tumors.JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(9):1488. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2592National Cancer Institute.Tumor list.National Cancer Institute.Tumor markers. Last updated: December 7, 2023.National Cancer Institute.Tumor necrosis factor.American Cancer Society.Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cancer.Cancer Research UK.Age and cancer.MedlinePlus.Tumor.Cancer Research UK.Why some cancers come back.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Cancer Institute.Tumor.American Cancer Society.What is cancer?Patel A.Benign vs malignant tumors.JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(9):1488. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2592National Cancer Institute.Tumor list.National Cancer Institute.Tumor markers. Last updated: December 7, 2023.National Cancer Institute.Tumor necrosis factor.American Cancer Society.Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cancer.Cancer Research UK.Age and cancer.MedlinePlus.Tumor.Cancer Research UK.Why some cancers come back.

National Cancer Institute.Tumor.

American Cancer Society.What is cancer?

Patel A.Benign vs malignant tumors.JAMA Oncol. 2020;6(9):1488. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2592

National Cancer Institute.Tumor list.

National Cancer Institute.Tumor markers. Last updated: December 7, 2023.

National Cancer Institute.Tumor necrosis factor.

American Cancer Society.Oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and DNA repair genes.

American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of cancer.

Cancer Research UK.Age and cancer.

MedlinePlus.Tumor.

Cancer Research UK.Why some cancers come back.

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