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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 tumor.
Treatment often involves surgery. Benign tumors usually don't grow back.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Childhood Craniopharyngioma Treatment
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
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Treatment Options for Childhood Craniopharyngioma (National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Tumor vs. Cyst: What's the Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Specifics
- Benign Liver Tumors (American Liver Foundation)
- Bone Tumor (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
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Brain and Spinal Tumors: Hope through Research (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Chondroblastoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Chondromyxoid Fibroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Chondrosarcoma (American Brain Tumor Association)
- Craniopharyngioma (American Brain Tumor Association)
- Enchondroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatoses) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Hand and Wrist Tumors (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- 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)
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Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Osteochondroma (Bone Tumor) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Osteoid Osteoma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
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Pituitary Tumors (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Also in Spanish
- Plantar Fibroma and Plantar Fibromatosis (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) Also in Spanish
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Prolactinoma (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis or Laryngeal Papillomatosis (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
- Schwannoma (American Brain Tumor Association)
- Stomach Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Synovial Chondromatosis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Thyroid Nodules (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Vocal Cord Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- What Is Castleman Disease? (American Cancer Society)
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: adiposis dolorosa (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Brooke-Spiegler syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Carney complex (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Cowden syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: desmoid tumor (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: epidermal nevus (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: familial cylindromatosis (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: hereditary multiple osteochondromas (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: multiple familial trichoepithelioma (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: nonsyndromic paraganglioma (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: pilomatricoma (National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Potocki-Shaffer syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
- Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Learning about Dercum Disease (National Human Genome Research Institute)
Images
- Cherry Hemangioma (Logical Images)
- Dermatofibroma (Logical Images)
- Keratoacanthoma (Logical Images)
- Pilar Cyst (Logical Images)
- Pyogenic Granuloma (Logical Images)
- Seborrheic Keratoses (Logical Images)
- Syringoma (Logical Images)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoma (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Papilloma (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemangioma (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
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Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
Children
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Childhood Craniopharyngioma (National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Guide to Understanding Hemangiomas (Children's Craniofacial Association) - PDF
- Nonossifying Fibroma (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Strawberry Hemangioma (Logical Images)
- What Are Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors in Children? (American Cancer Society)
Women
- Non-Cancerous Breast Conditions (American Cancer Society)
- Uterine Polyps (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Patient Handouts
- Biopsy - polyps (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cherry angioma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
