The exact cause of a benign tumor is often unknown. It develops when cells in the body divide and grow at an excessive rate. Typically, the body is able to balance cell growth and division. When old or damaged cells die, they are automatically replaced with new, healthy cells.
Benign tumors tend to grow slowly and have distinct borders. Benign tumors are not usually problematic. However, they can become large and compress structures nearby, causing pain or other medical complications.
Surgery is a common type of treatment for benign tumors. The goal is to remove the tumor without damaging surrounding tissues. Other types of treatment may include medication or radiation.
Type 1 (NF-1), also called von Recklinghausen's disease, causes multiple benign (noncancerous) tumors of the nerves and skin.
While benign tumors rarely become malignant, some adenomas and leiomyomas may develop into cancer and should be removed. Desmoid tumors and fibroids also may cause damage if they are allowed to grow and may require surgery or a polypectomy.
Non-cancerous tumors can also cause fatigue. Some grow large enough to damage organs or glands, causing their function to decline. Most pituitary adenomas (tumors) are non-cancerous.
“Most benign tumors aren't life-threatening. They can be left alone as they are unlikely to cause damage to any other areas of your body. In fact, many individuals carry benign tumors that don't require treatment, such as moles, throughout their lives.”
Benign (non-cancerous) brain tumours can usually be successfully removed with surgery and do not usually grow back. It often depends on whether the surgeon is able to safely remove all of the tumour. If there's some left, it can either be monitored with scans or treated with radiotherapy.
Cells that are damaged or no longer needed die to make room for healthy replacements. If the balance of cell growth and death is disturbed, a tumor may form. Problems with the body's immune system can lead to tumors.
Even though most benign tumors are harmless and can be left alone, it's important they be monitored. And any tumor that is painful or growing requires a visit to the doctor.
While many benign tumors do not need treatment, some do, especially if they are causing symptoms. Usually if a benign tumor requires treatment, we remove it surgically. Whenever possible, we use minimally invasive techniques, which require small incisions and have minimal recovery time.
If not removed entirely by surgery, the growth of benign tumors should be monitored regularly by the patient and every six months to a year by the physician. In cases of sarcoma (cancerous growth), patients should have regular rechecks of their condition to monitor whether the cancer has metastasized or recurred.
Benign tumors grow only in one place. They cannot spread or invade other parts of your body. Even so, they can be dangerous if they press on vital organs, such as your brain.
They are most common in your skin, mouth, foot and uterus (called uterine fibroids). Hemangioma: These types of benign neoplasms grow from blood vessels. Hemangiomas most often occur on the skin in babies. But they can also form on internal organs such as the liver, colon or brain.
Benign tumors are slow growing, well-defined tumors that do not spread to other parts of the body. In rare cases, untreated benign tumors can be life-threatening if they affect a vital organ.
Stress hormones can inhibit a process called anoikis, which kills diseased cells and prevents them from spreading, Sood says. Chronic stress also increases the production of certain growth factors that increase your blood supply. This can speed the development of cancerous tumors, he adds.
Stress induces signals that cause cells to develop into tumors, Yale researchers have discovered.
Treatment often involves surgery. Benign tumors usually don't grow back.
Non-cancerous brain tumours tend to stay in one place and don't spread. They won't usually come back if all of the tumour can be safely removed during surgery. Because they aren't cancerous they can often be successfully treated, but they're still serious and can be life threatening.
2 While benign tumors are not cancerous, some of them can grow very large (sometimes up to several pounds) if left untreated.
When a benign tumor requires treatment, it isn't too different from the treatment of a malignant or cancerous tumor. It may be radiation therapy, radiosurgery for benign tumors located in the skull base, surgery or chemotherapy.
The oncologist will likely operate on the patient to remove these. The oncologist will frequently see osteochondromas, which are a type of benign bone tumor.
A new study shows sleeping less than six hours per night may increase your risk to develop a key sign of early colon cancer by about 50 percent. Patients who reported short sleep durations are far more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal adenomas, a precursor to cancer tumors.