BENIGN TUMOR

Benign Tumor

A benign tumor is an abnormal but noncancerous collection of cells. It can form anywhere on or in your body when cells multiply more than they should or don’t die when they should. A benign tumor is not malignant. It grows more slowly, has even borders and doesn’t spread to other parts of your body. Many benign tumors don’t require treatment.

Contents

Overview

Symptoms and Causes

Diagnosis and Tests

Management and Treatment

Prevention

Outlook / Prognosis

Living With

Overview

What is a benign tumor?

A tumor is an abnormal collection of cells. It forms when cells multiply more than they should or when cells don’t die when they should. A tumor can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (not cancerous).

A benign tumor is usually not a serious problem unless it presses on a nearby structure or causes other symptoms. Another word for tumor is neoplasm.

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What’s the difference between a benign vs malignant tumor?

A benign tumor has distinct, smooth, regular borders. A malignant tumor has irregular borders and grows faster than a benign tumor.

A malignant tumor can also spread to other parts of your body. A benign tumor can become quite large, but it will not invade nearby tissue or spread to other parts of your body.

Can a benign tumor become malignant?

Some benign tumors can become cancerous over time (for example, in your colon or skin). If you have a benign neoplasm, a healthcare provider should monitor it regularly.

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Adenoma: This is a benign tumor on or in a gland or organ (such as the pituitary gland, colon or liver).

Chondroma: A chondroma is a benign neoplasm that forms in cartilage, a flexible connective tissue throughout the body.

Fibroma or fibroid: This is a noncancerous tumor in the fibrous tissue, a dense connective tissue in tendons and ligaments. Fibromas can grow in fibrous tissue throughout your body. They are most common in your skin, mouth, foot and uterus (called uterine fibroids).

Hemangioma: These types of benign neoplasms grow from blood vessels. Hemangiomas most often occur on the skin in babies. But they can also form on internal organs such as the liver, colon or brain.

Lipoma: A lipoma forms from fat cells. This benign fatty tumor grows just below your skin. It’s the most common type of benign tumor.

Lymphangioma: This type of benign neoplasm develops in your lymphatic system. It can cause fluid-filled cysts on your skin and mucous membranes, which line your mouth, nose and inner eyelids.

Meningioma: Meningiomas begin in the meninges, a layer of tissue around your brain. They can press on the brain and spinal cord. Most meningiomas are benign, but they can grow large and become life-threatening.

Myoma: These benign tumors grow from smooth muscle. Leiomyomas often grow in the uterus (also known as uterine fibroids) or gastrointestinal tract.

Neuroma: This type of benign neoplasm develops within nerves. They can grow anywhere in your body. Common neuromas include schwannoma, neurofibroma and ganglioneuroma.

Osteoma: This noncancerous tumor forms from bone. New, abnormal bone grows on other bone. Most osteomas grow on your skull. Osteoid osteomas develop in long bones, such as those in your legs. They are most common in children and young adults.

Skin tumors: There are many types of benign skin tumors. Some of the most common include cherry angioma, sebaceous hyperplasia, seborrheic keratoses, dermatofibromas and acrochordons (also called skin tags).

Symptoms and Causes

What causes a benign neoplasm?

Scientists don’t yet understand what causes most noncancerous tumors. Some types may be related to genetics or exposure to chemicals or radiation.

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Bleeding (for example, with a fibroid in the uterus).

Headaches, seizures or trouble seeing (for example, with a brain tumor).

Loss of appetite or weight loss (for example, a tumor near your stomach or intestines).

Pain or discomfort in any area of your body.

Trouble breathing (when the tumor is near your mouth, nose, throat or lungs).

On the skin, you can often see and feel benign tumors. They may be:

Discolored (often red or brown).

Firm or soft when you press on them.

Raised, like bumps.

Round, with smooth, even edges.

Smooth or rough to the touch.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is a benign tumor diagnosed?

If you have any symptoms or see or feel anything that looks abnormal, you should talk to a healthcare provider. Certain tests can help determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant.

Depending on where the tumor is, tests may include:

Biopsy: During a biopsy, a healthcare provider removes a piece of tissue, then examines the cells under a microscope.

Imaging tests: A CT scan, MRI or ultrasound can create detailed images of structures inside your body, including tumors.

Mammogram: A mammogram is a special type of X-ray that can detect abnormal growths or changes in breast tissue.

X-ray: X-rays take pictures inside your body, often of bone.

Management and Treatment

How is a benign tumor treated?

Many noncancerous tumors don’t need to be treated or removed. If a neoplasm isn’t growing quickly or causing any problems, your healthcare provider may recommend keeping an eye on it.

However, if a benign tumor presses on another body structure or causes symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to remove it. Some people also choose to have benign tumors removed for cosmetic reasons (for example, a tumor on the skin).

Care at Cleveland Clinic

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Prevention

How can I reduce my risk of a benign tumor?

Scientists don’t fully understand what causes benign tumors. There is no way to predict or prevent them from growing.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the outlook for people with benign tumors?

Many noncancerous tumors don’t cause any problems and don’t need to be treated. But you should keep an eye on any growth or change and have it checked regularly.

Can a benign tumor come back after treatment?

If you have surgery to remove a benign neoplasm, it usually will not grow back. Your healthcare provider will tell you if and when you should follow up to make sure.

Living With

When should I seek medical care for a benign tumor?

You should seek medical attention for any unusual growth or symptoms that could indicate a tumor.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a benign neoplasm and it doesn’t need to be treated right away, you should be aware of any changes. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any differences in the way it looks or feels or if you have increasing pain or other symptoms.

For example, if you have a benign skin tumor, call your healthcare provider if it changes:

Color.

Shape.

Size.

If you have a benign brain tumor, report any:

Headaches.

Problems with memory or balance.

Seizures.

Vision problems.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

A benign tumor is an abnormal but noncancerous collection of cells also called a benign neoplasm. Benign tumors can form anywhere on or in your body, but many don’t need treatment. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have any unusual growth, signs of a possible tumor or changes in symptoms.

NEUTRON STARS

 

Neutron Stars

 Diagram showing the size of a neutron star next to Manhattan

 A neutron star is the densest object astronomers can observe directly, crushing half a million times Earth's mass into a sphere about 12 miles across, or similar in size to Manhattan Island, as shown in this illustration.

 Neutron stars are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. The very central region of the star – the core – collapses, crushing together every proton and electron into a neutron. If the core of the collapsing star is between about 1 and 3 solar masses, these newly-created neutrons can stop the collapse, leaving behind a neutron star. (Stars with higher masses will continue to collapse into stellar-mass black holes.)

 This collapse leaves behind the most dense object known – an object with the mass of a sun squished down to the size of a city. These stellar remnants measure about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) across. One sugar cube of neutron star material would weigh about 1 trillion kilograms (or 1 billion tons) on Earth – about as much as a mountain.

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 Artist conception of a pulsar with its magnetic field lines and particle jets

 This diagram of a pulsar shows the neutron star with a strong magnetic field (field lines shown in blue) and a beam of light along the magnetic axis. As the neutron star spins, the magnetic field spins with it, sweeping that beam through space. If that beam sweeps over Earth, we see it as a regular pulse of light.

 Since neutron stars began their existence as stars, they are found scattered throughout the galaxy in the same places where we find stars. And like stars, they can be found by themselves or in binary systems with a companion.

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 Many neutron stars are likely undetectable because they simply do not emit enough radiation. However, under certain conditions, they can be easily observed. A handful of neutron stars have been found sitting at the centers of supernova remnants quietly emitting X-rays. More often, though, neutron stars are found spinning wildly with extreme magnetic fields as pulsars or magnetars. In binary systems, some neutron stars can be found accreting materials from their companions, emitting electromagnetic radiation powered by the gravitational energy of the accreting material. Below we introduce two general classes of non-quiet neutron star – pulsars and magnetars.

 Pulsars

 Most neutron stars are observed as pulsars. Pulsars are rotating neutron stars observed to have pulses of radiation at very regular intervals that typically range from milliseconds to seconds. Pulsars have very strong magnetic fields which funnel jets of particles out along the two magnetic poles. These accelerated particles produce very powerful beams of light. Often, the magnetic field is not aligned with the spin axis, so those beams of particles and light are swept around as the star rotates. When the beam crosses our line-of-sight, we see a pulse – in other words, we see pulsars turn on and off as the beam sweeps over Earth.

 One way to think of a pulsar is like a lighthouse. At night, a lighthouse emits a beam of light that sweeps across the sky. Even though the light is constantly shining, you only see the beam when it is pointing directly in your direction. The video below is an animation of a neutron star showing the magnetic field rotating with the star. Partway through, the point-of-view changes so that we can see the beams of light sweeping across our line of sight – this is how a pulsar pulses.

 This animation takes us into a spinning pulsar, with its strong magnetic field rotating along with it. Clouds of charged particles move along the field lines and their gamma-rays are beamed like a lighthouse beacon by the magnetic fields. As our line of sight moves into the beam, we see the pulsations once every rotation of the neutron star.

 Magnetars

 Another type of neutron star is called a magnetar. In a typical neutron star, the magnetic field is trillions of times that of the Earth's magnetic field; however, in a magnetar, the magnetic field is another 1000 times stronger.

 In all neutron stars, the crust of the star is locked together with the magnetic field so that any change in one affects the other. The crust is under an immense amount of strain, and a small movement of the crust can be explosive. But since the crust and magnetic field are tied, that explosion ripples through the magnetic field. In a magnetar, with its huge magnetic field, movements in the crust cause the neutron star to release a vast amount of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. A magnetar called SGR 1806-20 had a burst where in one-tenth of a second it released more energy than the sun has emitted in the last 100,000 years!

 Artist illustration of a magnetar starquake

 A rupture in the crust of a highly magnetized neutron star, shown here in an artist's rendering, can trigger high-energy eruptions.