What type of tumors are there

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.

Malignant tumors are cancerous. They develop when cells grow uncontrollably. If the cells continue to grow and spread, the disease can become life threatening. Malignant tumors can grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body in a process called metastasis. The cancer cells that move to other parts of the body are the same as the original ones, but they have the ability to invade other organs.

If lung cancer spreads to the liver, for example, the cancer cells in the liver are still lung cancer cells. Different types of malignant tumor originate in different types of cell.

Carcinomas can occur in the stomach, prostate, pancreas, lung, liver, colon, or breast. Cancer may also spread through the bloodstream to distant parts of the body. These parts may include the bones, liver, lungs, or brain. Even if the cancer spreads, it is still named for the area where it began.

For example, if breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it is called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer. Video used with permission from BioDigital Systems. Read a full-text transcript.

Often, a diagnosis begins when a person visits a doctor about an unusual symptom. The doctor will talk with the person about his or her medical history and symptoms. Then the doctor will do various tests to find out the cause of these symptoms. But many people with cancer have no symptoms. For these people, cancer is diagnosed during a medical test for another issue or condition. Sometimes a doctor finds cancer after a screening test in an otherwise healthy person.

Examples of screening tests include colonoscopy , mammography , and a Pap test. A person may need more tests to confirm or disprove the result of the screening test. For most cancers, a biopsy is the only way to make a definite diagnosis. A biopsy is the removal of a small amount of tissue for further study. Learn more about making a diagnosis after a biopsy.

Request Permissions. What is Cancer? Approved by the Cancer. How cancer begins Cells are the basic units that make up the human body. Cancer can start in any part of the body. When cancer cells form a lump or growth, it is called a cancerous tumour. 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.

When cancer cells spread and develop into new tumours, the new tumours are called metastases. Some of these cells have mild changes that may disappear without any treatment. But some precancerous cells pass on genetic changes and gradually become more and more abnormal as they divide until they turn into cancer.

It can take a long time for a precancerous condition to develop into cancer. Precancerous changes can be mild to severe. There are different ways of describing precancerous changes based on how mild or severe the changes are. Hyperplasia means that abnormal cells are dividing and increasing in number faster than normal. The cells look normal under the microscope but there are more cells than normal. Atypia means that cells are slightly abnormal atypical.