Q. What is the difference between a tumor, cancer and carcinoma?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
A tumor, cancer and carcinoma are all terms related to abnormal cell growth in the body but there are some distinct differences between each of them.
A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that has grown somewhere in the body. It can be either benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Benign tumors usually do not spread and pose no risk to other parts of the body, while malignant tumors can spread to other areas, invading organs and tissues nearby through a process called metastasis.
Cancer is a type of disease characterized by cells that grow uncontrollably as they divide repeatedly due to mutations in their DNA structure. When left unchecked, these rogue cells spread throughout the body via lymphatic or vascular circulation leading to secondary tumors elsewhere in the body. Cancer is often referred to as "malignant" because it can cause death if untreated for a prolonged period of time.
Carcinoma refers strictly to cancers that originate from epithelial cells which line our skin, nails, blood vessels and organs such as lungs and intestines. Examples include breast cancer (which forms from mammary glands), lung cancer (formed from bronchi), pancreatic cancer (from pancreatic ducts). Carcinomas account for approximately 80 percent - 85 percent of all cancers worldwide since they originate directly on visible surfaces like skin making them more easy to spot than deeper-seated types such as leukemia or lymphoma who's underlying problems may remain hidden until much later stages when symptoms become obvious enough for diagnosis.
Overall it is important not only understand what differentiates these three terms but also be aware why early detection matters when talking about any kind of illness so make sure you keep up with regularly scheduled doctor visits!
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