COMPARISON: MALIGNANT AND BENIGN

Benign tumors arent cancerous. They can often be removed, and, in most cases,
they do not come back. It does not spread to other parts of the body.

Malignant tumors are cancerous and are made up of cells that grow out of control.
Cells in these tumors can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
Sometimes cells move away from the original (primary) cancer site and spread to
other organs and bones where they can continue to grow and form another tumor at
that site.

BENIGN MALIGNANT
Cells are well-differentiated. Cells are poorly differentiated.

Mobile mass. Fixed or ulcerating mass.

Smooth and round with a surrounding Irregular shaped with no capsule.

fibrous capsule.
Cells multiply slowly. Cells multiply rapidly.

Tumor grows by expanding and pushing Tumor grows by invading and destroying
away and against surrounding tissue. surrounding tissue.
Mass is mobile. Not attached to Mass is fixed. Attached to surrounding
surrounding tissue. tissue and deeply fixed in surrounding
tissue.
Never spread to other sites Almost always spreads to other sites if
(metastasize). not removed or destroyed.
Easier to remove and does not recur Difficult to remove and recurs after
after excision. excision.
The cells manufacture chemicals Malignant tumor cells do not produce
(adhesion molecules) that cause them to these molecules and can break off and
stick together float away to other regions of the body.
Systemic effects are unusual unless Systemic effects are common and
tumor is a secreting endocrine usually life threatening.
neoplasm.
 Both can grow quite large. Size alone does not make the distinction between
these types of tumors. In fact, benign ovarian tumors weighing over a hundred
pounds have been removed.

Both can be dangerous at times. While benign tumors tend to be more of a

nuisance, they can, in some cases, be life-threatening. An example is benign
brain tumors. When these tumors grow in the enclosed space of the brain, they
can put pressure on, and destroy other brain structures, resulting in paralysis,
speech problems, seizures, and even death. Some benign tumors, such
as pheochromocytomas, secrete hormones that can cause life-threatening
symptoms as well.

Both can recur locally. If cells are left over after surgery, both benign and
malignant tumors may later recur near the region of the original tumor.