The word “tumor” is loaded with frightening possibility. Simply put, it’s an abnormal growth of cells. It can be cancer — a malignant tumor. But in many cases, the growth is instead a benign, or noncancerous, tumor.
Everything from genetics to toxins in the environment to our diet can play a role in the formation of tumors. When a tumor is determined to be benign — understandably, it’s usually a relief. We live with many imperfections in our bodies that never do us harm, and often benign tumors require no treatment. What’s more, even where there are potential concerns, it’s sometimes enough for doctors to simply keep an eye on tumor growth to make sure it isn’t spreading — as would be expected with a cancer — or otherwise causing problems.
However, in some cases, benign tumors aren’t exactly “benign” in the broader sense of the word, either. That’s because these growths can still cause symptoms, such as putting pressure on the brain and other important organs, causing a person pain or impeding function. That can necessitate treatment — often surgery to remove the growth.
[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.]
You might not think of brain tumors as benign, but in fact a very common type called meningiomas are usually noncancerous. These form in the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or the meninges. Most are slow-growing, says Dr. W.K. Alfred Yung, a professor of neuro-oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a special adviser to the CEO of the National Brain Tumor Society. But he notes even benign tumors in the brain can do damage.
In the case of menigiomas, they’re often kind of stuck between a brain and a hard place. “Your skull is a hard surface, and so as they get bigger, they take up the space that the brain normally takes up, and they compress it,” says Dr. Brian Rubin, a pathologist at Cleveland Clinic who specializes in diagnosing bone and soft tissue tumors. “Picture sort of stuffing your fist into a thing of Play-Doh.” The tumors can compress the brain and spinal cord, and that can cause a lot of problems. “People present with headaches and blurred vision and possibly some thinking problems when they have a benign tumor,” Rubin says. The tumors can also cause seizures.
Treatment often addresses specific symptomatic issues — like medication to prevent or reduce seizures; and doctors may simply take the approach of “watchful waiting,” monitoring the growth of the tumor, if it doesn’t cause problems. But in many cases surgical removal or resection of the tumor — cutting it out — is recommended.
The type of tumor, its size, location and the symptoms or problems it’s causing are all worthwhile considerations, experts say, in deciding how to move forward. A patient should ask the doctor, “How big is the tumor?” Yung says. As well as, “Where is the tumor? What kind of tumor is it likely to be?”
Although different types of tumors located throughout the body behave in different ways, the great majority tend to be small and of little to no consequence. Take, for instance, pigmented nevi — or growths on the skin ranging from tan to black in color, better known by their common name: moles.
The vast majority are harmless, and that’s usually the case for atypical moles, or dysplastic nevi — that differ from common moles as well; most atypical moles will never turn into melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Still, the presence of dysplastic nevi is associated with a greater risk of developing melanoma.
[See: 7 Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer.]
Not everything is so high stakes, though.
While dermatologists and other clinicians keep an eye on any concerning growths, commonly the reason these growths may be removed isn’t fear of cancer or other serious health problems, but discomfort.
That can go for things such as moles and seborrheic keratoses, noncancerous growths that are especially common in older people, which have a wart-like appearance — though they’re not warts, which are caused by a virus — says Dr. Stephen P. Stone, a professor of dermatology and director of clinical research at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. When such growths are at the belt line or underneath the bra strap or on the chest where the seat belt in a car rubs across it, they can becomes symptomatic; “they get inflamed, they get irritated,” he says.
These benign tumors may be removed — or pulverized — for that reason. Many small growths can be destroyed with liquid nitrogen, Stone says.
The location of a tumor can also affect function in very straightforward ways and lead to its removal — such as with a benign growth in the nose that interferes with the flow of air, or a tumor in the urinary tract that makes it hard to pee, Stone says. Benign tumors of the eyelid also fall into that category: “You’d want to remove those things because they — depending on where they are on the lid — could be interfering with vision, or they could be causing pressure on the eyeball itself,” he says.
In other cases, patients may opt to have growths removed for cosmetic reasons.
Meanwhile, under the surface, benign tumors can persist without ever getting noticed. In women, uterine fibroids, common noncancerous growths of the uterus, often don’t cause any symptoms. But for some women they can cause symptoms ranging from heavy menstrual bleeding to pelvic pressure or pain. Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatment ranges from watchful waiting to symptom management to destroying or surgically removing the tumors.
Other types of benign tumors are more likely to cause serious problems. Desmoid fibromatosis can’t metastasize as cancer can — or spread to other parts of the body — but it is considered an aggressive type of benign tumor. “Desmoid fibromatosis can invade into all muscles, bone in some cases, [and] organs and cause a lot of damage,” Rubin says. So these tumors typically get resected, he notes.
As with any diagnosis or treatment, experts say it’s important when dealing with a tumor to talk over all related health concerns and treatment options, from just keeping an eye on it, to treating symptoms — if there are any — to removal.
[See: The Most Common Patient Complaints.]
As part of that discussion, experts say it’s also important for patients to always keep in mind that even making a call on whether a tumor is benign can be difficult. “[Making] the distinction between benign and malignant is not always easy, and the rarer the condition the harder that is” to make that distinction, Yung says. Sometimes what is initially determined to be benign can actually turn out to be cancer; and even with benign tumors it’s important that patients consult specialists with expertise and experience in the type of tumor or condition they have. “To me, anybody should get a second opinion with any kind of growth that’s out of the ordinary,” Rubin says.
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When Should You Have a Benign Tumor Removed? originally appeared on usnews.com
