We may hear about a person suffering from a tumor in a specific area of ​​the body and we feel anxious and afraid without understanding what types of tumors are and whether they are generally dangerous or do they vary in severity?

What is a tumor mass?

A tumor mass is an abnormal gathering of cells due to a defect in their division mechanism, which leads to irregular and excessive growth. As the division and growth of cells continue, they accumulate and become a palpable and sometimes visible mass, but they differ in nature, and whether they cause pain or not depends on the type of tumor. A tumor mass may appear in any organ of the body, which requires careful and urgent evaluation. 

What are the types of tumors?

The types of tumors are divided into 3 basic types, and doctors classify them according to their seriousness, different characteristics, and the extent of their spread in the body, which are as follows:

• Benign tumor 

Benign tumor is an abnormal growth of cells, but it is characterized by being a non-cancerous tumor. The cells in this type of tumor are close in shape and behavior to normal cells, and do not spread to other parts of the body. It is a type of tumor that grows very slowly and does not attack the surrounding tissues, and often does not return again after treatment or eradication.

One of the most important characteristics of a benign tumor mass is that it is a soft and mobile mass under the skin that remains the same size for years. Examples of these include uterine fibroids and lipomas.

• Pre-malignant tumor

The second type of tumor is the precancerous tumor, which is the type that one must be careful of because it is a transitional stage between a benign tumor and a malignant cancerous tumor. Some abnormal changes appear in the cells, making them vulnerable to turning into cancerous cells over time, and the lumps appear in the form of a rough or crusty spot on the skin.

One of the most important characteristics of a pre-malignant tumor is that the cells do not resemble a normal shape and do not penetrate tissues or spread, but 15% of them have the potential to do so in the future. Early detection of this type prevents the cells from developing into a malignant cancer type, and the most important examples are colon polyps, which later turn into colon cancer.

• Malignant tumor

The malignant tumor is considered one of the most aggressive and dangerous types of tumors of all. It is the malignant tumor. It appears in the form of a solid mass with irregular dimensions and sometimes adherent to the tissue. In this type, the growth of cancer cells becomes rapid and the tumor spreads to the lymph nodes or nearby organs. It is a life-threatening type if it spreads due to lack of early detection or neglect of treatment. One of its most prominent and common examples is Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. 

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Causes of tumors appearing in the body

The reasons for the appearance of tumors in the body vary from one case to another depending on the types of tumors, whether benign or malignant. In general, they include the following:

• Genetic factors:
  Such as having a family history of tumors or cancer, or inherited genetic mutations such as those that cause breast cancer.
• Exposure to carcinogens:
  The most prominent of which is smoking, which is the most dangerous pest that causes tumors to appear, or exposure to radiation, or chemicals such as pesticides.
• Use of hormones:
  Women using certain hormones for a long time, such as birth control pills, or hormone replacement therapy, increases the risk of developing some types of cancer.
• Viral infection:
  Like being infected with a virus Papilloma Human HPV, which is associated with cervical cancer, and hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus, which are associated with liver cancer. 
• ضعف الجهاز المناعي:
  When a person has weak immunity due to aging, a chronic disease, or an organ transplant, he becomes more susceptible to the appearance of tumors.

How do you differentiate between different types of tumors?

The only method that helps differentiate between the different types of tumors is accurate diagnosis after a clinical examination and observation of the shape of the tumor mass and the symptoms accompanying it. Among the most important diagnostic methods are:

1. CT scan and ultrasound to clearly see the tumor and determine its dimensions.
2. Biopsy is the most important and accurate method for diagnosis. It is a sample taken from the tumor and determines after laboratory examination whether the tumor is benign, pre-malignant, or cancerous.

How to treat different types of tumors

We will learn together below about the methods of treating different types of tumors, which types only need to be observed, which need urgent and effective treatment, and what are the available options that have proven effective in treating malignant tumors:

Treatment of benign tumor

A benign tumor is monitored if it does not cause any symptoms or side effects, such as pressure on an organ in the body. Sometimes the doctor suffices with periodic follow-up. In some cases, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumor due to the possibility of it turning into malignant, after using medications that help reduce the size of the tumor before resection.

Treatment of pre-malignant tumor

It is necessary to treat a pre-malignant tumor before it turns into cancer cells that penetrate and spread throughout the body. The most prominent treatment methods are:

• Local treatment by freezing or using laser.
• Surgical excision to remove growths or altered cells.
• Monitoring and follow-up with periodic examinations for early detection of cell transformation into cancer. 

Treatment of malignant tumor

Due to the rapid growth of cancer cells, the patient needs immediate treatment to heal and recover from the disease, so doctors always choose to treat a malignant tumor by any of the following methods:

• Surgical resection to remove the tumor entirely, and sometimes part of the organ near the tumor is removed.
• العلاج الكيميائي لاستهداف الخلايا السرطانية وتدميرها أو لتقليص حجم الورم.
• Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by emitting high-energy rays.
• Targeted therapy that targets cancer cells without harming surrounding tissue.
• Immunotherapy to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells.
• Hormone therapy used for breast or prostate cancer.

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Al Mousa Specialist Hospital Center has proven that it is actually one of the best hospitals that treat different types of tumors by making an accurate diagnosis and knowing the type and grade of the tumor through an integrated diagnostic unit of laboratories and imaging examination, and treatment with the latest methods that suit the type of tumor, whether benign or malignant, while providing distinguished care to the patient throughout the treatment period.

Frequently asked questions

Below we answer the most common questions we receive from our followers about types of tumors 

What is the easiest type of cancer?

Cancer of all types is a serious disease and cannot be classified as the easiest type, but it can be said that some have a high cure rate, such as thyroid cancer, testicular cancer, and basal type skin cancer.

What is the difference between cancer and tumor?

A tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the body that may be benign or malignant. A tumor is more comprehensive than cancer, because cancer is a name specific to malignant tumors only, which can grow and invade neighboring tissues as well.

How do we know if a tumor is benign or malignant?

It is possible to determine the type of tumor, benign or malignant, by feeling the mass whether it is fixed or mobile, solid or soft, in addition to a biopsy or taking a sample of the tumor and analyzing it to determine its type and confirm the diagnosis.

Sources and references

All about Tumors – cleveland clinic

What are the different types of tumor – medical news today