Characteristics of benign and malignant tumour growth

Benign Tumours

Non-invasive nature: Benign tumours often grow slowly and remain localised. They don’t spread to other parts of the body.
Encapsulation: Benign tumours are usually encapsulated or wrapped in a protective shell, which prevents them from invading surrounding tissues.
Cell structure: The cells in a benign tumour generally resemble the cells in the tissue where the tumour began. They maintain most of their normal structure and function.
Not life-threatening: With few exceptions, benign tumours are not fatal. They may cause problems if they grow too large and press on vital organs, but they don’t lead to systemic illness.
Removal: These tumours can often be removed through surgery and seldom reoccur after removal.

Malignant Tumours

Invasive nature: Malignant tumours grow rapidly and have the ability to invade and destroy surrounding tissues.
Metastasis: A key characteristic of malignant tumours is metastasis, where cells break away from the original (primary) tumour and travel to other parts of the body to form new (secondary) tumours.
Role in cancer: All forms of cancer involve malignant tumours. Hence, these tumours are a significant health risk and can be life-threatening.
Abnormal cell structure: Cells in malignant tumours typically look different from normal cells, have abnormal functions, and grow uncontrollably.
Reoccurrence: Malignant tumours have a greater tendency to reoccur locally after surgical removal.

Differences in detection and treatment

Diagnosis techniques: Due to their growing pattern, malignant tumours are typically harder to remove entirely and are often diagnosed at a later stage compared with benign tumours.
Treatment options: Treatment strategies for malignant tumours often include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy to target tumour cells throughout the body.