Differences Between a Malignant and Benign Tumor

If you have been diagnosed with a tumor, the first step your doctor will take is to find out whether it is malignant or benign, as this will affect your treatment plan. In short, the meaning of malignant is cancerous and the meaning of benign is non-cancerous. Learn more about how either diagnosis affects your health.

A tumor is an abnormal lump or growth of cells. When the cells in the tumor are normal, it is benign. Something just went wrong, and they overgrew and produced a lump. When the cells are abnormal and can grow uncontrollably, they are cancerous cells, and the tumor is malignant.

To determine whether a tumor is benign or cancerous, a doctor can take a sample of the cells with a biopsy procedure. Then the biopsy is analyzed under a microscope by a pathologist, a doctor specializing in laboratory science.

If the cells are not cancerous, the tumor is benign. It won't invade nearby tissues or spread to other areas of the body (metastasize). A benign tumor is less worrisome unless it is pressing on nearby tissues, nerves, or blood vessels and causing damage. Fibroids in the uterus or lipomas are examples of benign tumors.

Benign tumors may need to be removed by surgery. They can grow very large, sometimes weighing pounds. They can be dangerous, such as when they occur in the brain and crowd the normal structures in the enclosed space of the skull. They can press on vital organs or block channels. Also, some types of benign tumors such as intestinal polyps are considered precancerous and are removed to prevent them becoming malignant. Benign tumors usually don't recur once removed, but if they do it is usually in the same place.

Malignant means that the tumor is made of cancer cells, and it can invade nearby tissues. Some cancer cells can move into the bloodstream or lymph nodes, where they can spread to other tissues within the body—this is called metastasis. Cancer can occur anywhere in the body including the breast, intestines, lungs, reproductive organs, blood, and skin.

Although there are exceptions—for example, although most malignant tumors grow rapidly and most benign ones do not, there are examples of both slow-growing cancerous tumors and non-cancerous ones that grow quickly—the main differences between the two types of tumors are clear and consistent. Here's a snapshot of the main ones:

Some types of benign tumors only very rarely transform into malignant tumors. But some types, such as adenomatous polyps (adenomas) in the colon have a greater risk of transforming into cancer. That is why polyps, which are benign, are removed during colonoscopy. Removing them is one way of preventing colon cancer.

It's not always clear-cut whether a tumor is benign or malignant, and your doctor may use several different factors to diagnose it as one or the other. You may end up with an uncertain diagnosis. Also, it is possible that a biopsy finds precancerous cells or misses the area where the cancerous cells are more prevalent. In these cases, what was thought to be benign might turn out to be malignant as it further grows and develops.

If you have been diagnosed with a malignant tumor, your oncologist (cancer doctor) will devise a treatment plan with you based on the stage of cancer. Early-stage cancers haven't spread much, if at all, whereas later-stage cancers have spread to more areas of the body. Determining the stage of cancer may require biopsies, surgery, and/or imaging tests. Once the cancer stage is determined, you can proceed with therapy.

If you have been diagnosed with a benign tumor, your doctor will provide reassurance that you do not have cancer. Depending on the type of benign tumor, your doctor may recommend observation or removal for cosmetic or health purposes (for instance, the tumor may be compromising an important organ in your body).

Being diagnosed with a tumor can be an anxiety-ridden experience. Be sure to discuss your concerns with your doctor and ask whether there are any support groups that you can join. And remember, the earlier that you or your doctor detects a lump, the more likely the tumor is treatable. So if you notice something unusual on your body, don't wait to tell your doctor.