What is a tumor? Know the types, causes and symptoms

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on May 22, 2023

Tumor is a solid mass of abnormal cells and tissues. There are many types of tumors, some are cancer and are not cancerous. No matter if the tumor is non-cancerous, it can still be life-threatening and needs cancer treatment.

What is a tumor?

Tumor forms when a group of cells grows too quickly. They can be either small or very large in size. A tumor can develop anywhere in the body, and can affect tissue, skin, bones, glands and organs.

What are the types of tumors?

There are mainly three types of tumors, such as:

• Benign tumor: Benign tumors are non-cancerous tumors, and they are barely life-threatening. They are constrained, and generally do not affect the surrounding tissues or glands. After removing this type of tumor, they do not generally recur.
• Premalignant: Premalignant tumors are known as precancerous tumors, because the cells are not cancerous. But they can be cancerous, if not treated early.
• Malignant tumor: Malignant tumors are known as the cancerous tumor. The tumor cells spread the nearby tissue, glands and other parts of the body. These types of tumors can be life-threatening, and may recur even after treatment.

What are the types of Benign tumors?

The common examples of benign or noncancerous tumors are:

• Gland tumors (pituitary angiomas)
• Benign brain tumors
• Lymphatic tumors (angiomas)
• Benign bone tumor (osteomas)
• Benign soft tissue (lipomas)
• Brain tumors (schwannomas and meningiomas)
• Uterine fibroids

What are types of Premalignant tumors?

The known examples of premalignant or precancerous tumors are:

• Colon polyps
• Breast tumor (Ductal carcinoma in situ)
• Cervical dysplasia
• Skin tumor (Actinic keratosis)

What are the types of Malignant tumors?

The common examples of malignant or cancerous tumors are:

• Brain tumor (astrocytoma and glioblastoma)
• Malignant soft tissue tumor
• Organ tumor (pancreatic and lung cancer)
• Bone tumor (osteosarcoma and chordamos)
• Skin tumor (squamous cell carcinoma)
• Ovarian germ cell tumor

What are the symptoms of Tumor?

The symptoms and the severity of them depends on the type of tumor it is, and where it is localized. The general symptoms are:

• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Pain in that area
• Night sweats
• Low appetite
• Weight loss

What are the causes of tumors?

Our body continually produces new cells to replace the damaged cells. However, in some cases the damaged cells do not expire as they should, and the new cells keep growing abnormally. The cells group together and form a tumor.

What are the risk factors of tumors?

As tumors can affect people of all ages and gender. However, here are a few factors which can increase your risk of developing a tumor. The risk factors are:

• Being overweight
• Having a family history of breast and prostate cancer
• Having a genetic condition, such as neurofibromatosis and lynch syndrome
• Previously exposed to radiation
• Exposed to harmful toxins, such as asbestos and benzene
• Smoking, or exposed to secondhand smoke

So, those are the common risk factors of tumors. If your doctor suspects that you have a tumor, then they would suggest you a Tumor panel test, they might also suggest a biopsy to determine the severity of the tumor. Contact your nearest diagnostic center to know a Tumor panel test price.