A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of cells in the body.
A malignant neoplasm can spread to other parts of the body.
Most of the time, this pop in of growth is not dangerous to your health.
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It is possible for a tumor to be cancerous, however.
This article reviews the types of neoplasms and how they are treated.
It also discusses the possible outcomes for malignant neoplasms.
Neoplasms are usually painless, but they can sometimes hurt or bleed.
This is how a neoplasm differs from other conditions such aswarts.
Neoplasms often grow slowly.
However, some types (such as malignant melanoma) are more aggressive and can grow quickly.
You may notice small neoplasms that lead to bumps on the surface of your skin.
They may appear in reachable areas of your body, such as your ear canals or nostrils.
Often, though, they are located deep beneath the surface of your skin.
Types of Neoplasms
There are trillions of normal, healthy cells inside the human body.
These cells grow, divide, multiply, and die.
When they die, they are replaced in a controlled manner.
There are three types of neoplasms: benign, precancerous, and malignant.
They are not generally life-threatening.
Benign neoplasms are brought on by a limited overgrowth of cells, usually without a known cause.
Examples include:
Although benign tumors are not cancer, it doesn’t mean they can’t cause problems.
Fibroids, for example, can cause significant bleeding and pain and may need to be removed.
This suggests that malignant tumors may have other features besides genetic mutations that make them behave aggressively.
Malignant Tumors and Other Malignant Neoplasms
A malignant neoplasm is a cancerous growth.
These cells multiply faster, live longer, and invade other cells and tissue.
In addition, excessive alcohol use may lead to liver cancer.
They are usually diagnosed after a (biopsy) microscopic examination of the neoplasm.
Detecting and Classifying Neoplasms
It can be challenging to know if a neoplasm is cancerous or not.
Often, your healthcare provider can tell based on the appearance, texture, and history of the growth.
Then, the diagnosis can be confirmed with lab and imaging tests.
How Are Malignant Neoplasms Detected?
Your healthcare provider will likely order several tests to help determine if you have a malignant neoplasm.
Surgery
Surgery tends to work best for solid tumors that haven’t spread.
A solid tumor is a mass such as a breast tumor.
In the early stages of cancer, surgery may be the only necessary treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapyinvolves the use of one or more anti-cancer drugs.
It targets fast-growing cancer cells and works throughout your body rather than in a specific area.
It is often used to prevent cancer from spreading or treat cancer that has already spread.
It can also help shrink a tumor before surgery, making cancer easier to remove.
Radiation
Radiation therapytargets the tumor directly.
High doses of radiation are used to destroy the cancer cells during this treatment.
This treatment aims to cure early-stage tumors or reduce their size.
Ablation
Ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for solid tumors.
A healthcare provider uses a tiny probe to freeze or burn cancer cells during this procedure.
Ablation tends to work best for smaller tumors.
The goal of embolization is to disrupt the blood supply so the cancerous tumor cells die.
This can be done with small particles or beads that block the blood supply.
Chemotherapy drugs or radioactive particles can also be delivered through the tube.
Hormonal Therapy
Some cancers like breast cancer andprostate cancerrely on hormones to grow.
Hormone therapy can prevent the body from producing specific hormones or interfere with the behavior of hormones.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapyis a cancer treatment that helps stimulate your body’s immune system to fight cancer.
This can be done in a few different ways.
For example, people with localized melanoma have a five-yearsurvival rateof 99%.
This means that 99% of these individuals will still be alive five years after diagnosis.
However, people with metastatic melanoma have a five-year survival rate of 30%.
Summary
A neoplasm is an abnormal growth in the body.
Neoplasms can be benign or malignant.
Neoplasms can be diagnosed with lab tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy.
These tests can determine if a neoplasm is benign or malignant.
Treatment for malignant neoplasms depends on where they are located and if they have spread.
Typical treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
In some cases, hormonal therapy or immunotherapy can also help.
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