Tumors

A benign tumor is not cancer, although it can grow large and press on other body parts. It stays in one place, and does not travel to other parts of the body.

A malignant tumor is cancerous, and can grow very large and press on other parts of the body. Malignant tumors also can travel to other parts of the body, a condition called metastasis.

Cancer cells become a problem because they:

• do not function properly, as normal cells do
• do not obey the rules of the cell life-and-death cycle
• push out normal cells
• grow and divide quicker than normal cells
• travel to and potentially damage other body parts

Learn about different types of cancer.