What Are Malignant Tumors?
Tumors, also called neoplasms, are abnormal masses of tissue created by uncontrolled cell division which serve no physiological purpose. A tumor may be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are self-contained, non-lethal, and grow more slowly than malignant ones. Malignant tumors are cancerous growths which expand quickly and can metastasize, or spread to other areas of the body.
Tumors, also called neoplasms, are abnormal masses of tissue created by uncontrolled cell division which serve no physiological purpose. A tumor may be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are self-contained, non-lethal, and grow more slowly than malignant ones. Malignant tumors are cancerous growths which expand quickly and can metastasize, or spread to other areas of the body. Malignant tumors grow by invading nearby cells and spread to other parts of the body through a process called metastasis. Cells break off the tumor, enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and spread to another area, infecting additional tissue. This is how a tumor which starts in one part of the body, such as the breast or prostate, can spread to another type of tissue, such as the bones.
