Do benign tumors need to be removed?
In many cases, benign tumors need no treatment. Doctors may simply use “watchful waiting” to make sure they cause no problems. But treatment may be needed if symptoms are a problem. Surgery is a common type of treatment for benign tumors.
Are benign tumors easy to remove?
Dr. Alexandra Gangi: Like all tumors, a benign tumor is a mass of abnormal cells. But unlike malignant (cancerous) tumors, they can’t move into neighboring tissue or spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes they’re surrounded by a protective sac that makes them easy to remove.
Is a benign tumor still cancer?
Benign tumors aren’t cancer. Malignant ones are. Benign tumors grow only in one place. They cannot spread or invade other parts of your body.
What doctor removes benign tumors?
Unlike malignant tumors, a benign tumor is not cancerous and will not spread to other nearby tissues. In many cases, a person with a benign tumor will not suffer significant health effects. If the tumor lies on a critical organ or structure, the oncologist may need to remove or treat it.
How long can you live with a benign tumor?
Rarely are benign tumors untreatable. Survival in children for all brain tumors is about 70%; long-term side effects (for example, vision problems, speech problems, decreased strength) are common. For adults, five-year survival is related to age group, with younger ages (20-44) surviving at about a 50% rate.
Are benign tumors hard or soft?
They can feel firm or soft. Benign masses are more likely to be painful to the touch, such as with an abscess. Benign tumors also tend to grow more slowly, and many are smaller than 5 cm (2 inches) at their longest point. Sarcomas (cancerous growths) more often are painless.
Do benign tumors grow fast?
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.
Is benign cancer good or bad?
Most benign tumors are not harmful, and they are unlikely to affect other parts of the body. However, they can cause pain or other problems if they press against nerves or blood vessels or if they trigger the overproduction of hormones, as in the endocrine system.