Benign Tumors

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• Diagnosis and Tests

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• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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Summary

Tumors are abnormal growths in your body. They can be either benign or malignant. 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. Even so, they can be dangerous if they press on vital organs, such as your brain.

Tumors are made up of extra cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as your body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when your body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form a tumor.

Treatment often involves surgery. Benign tumors usually don't grow back.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Diagnosis and Tests

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• PTEN Genetic Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

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• Tumor vs. Cyst: What's the Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

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• Benign Liver Tumors (American Liver Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Bone Tumor (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Chondroblastoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Chondromyxoid Fibroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Enchondroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatoses) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Hemangioma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Lipoma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Liver Hemangioma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Meningioma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Osteochondroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Osteoid Osteoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Pituitary Tumors (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Plantar Fibroma and Plantar Fibromatosis (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society)
• Prolactinoma (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis or Laryngeal Papillomatosis (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) Also in Spanish
• Stomach Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Synovial Chondromatosis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Thyroid Nodules (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Genetics

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• About Dercum Disease (National Human Genome Research Institute)
• Adiposis dolorosa: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Aldosterone-producing adenoma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Carney complex: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Cowden syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• CYLD cutaneous syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Desmoid tumor: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Epidermal nevus: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary multiple osteochondromas: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Pilomatricoma: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Potocki-Shaffer syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Images

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• Cherry Hemangioma (VisualDX)
• Dermatofibroma (VisualDX)
• Keratoacanthoma (VisualDX)
• Lobular Capillary Hemangioma (Pyogenic Granuloma) (VisualDX)
• Pilar Cyst (VisualDX)
• Seborrheic Keratoses (VisualDX)
• Syringoma (VisualDX)

Clinical Trials

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• ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoma (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemangioma (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Papilloma (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

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• Article: Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer and the association with endoscopic findings in the...
• Article: Gender differences in prolactin thresholds and their association with lactotroph adenoma...
• Article: Complications following endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma-special focus on intrasellar...
• Benign Tumors -- see more articles

Reference Desk

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• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

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• American Cancer Society
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish

Children

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• Childhood Craniopharyngioma (National Cancer Institute)
• Childhood Heart Tumors (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Strawberry Hemangioma (Infantile Hemangioma) (VisualDX)

Women

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• Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Uterine Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

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• Cherry angioma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Polyp biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish