What is the Difference Between Tumour and Cancer?

The main difference between a tumor and cancer lies in their cellular behavior and growth. Here is a summary of the key differences:

Definition: A tumor is an abnormal growth or mass of tissue, while cancer is a group of diseases caused by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.
Cellular Growth: Cancerous tumors, also known as malignant tumors, grow in the absence of signals telling them to grow and ignore signals that normally tell cells to stop dividing or to die. In contrast, benign tumors do not exhibit these uncontrolled growth properties.
Spread: Malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues and travel to distant places in the body to form new tumors (a process called metastasis). Benign tumors, on the other hand, do not spread to other parts of the body.
Symptoms: Benign tumors are generally harmless and slow-growing, while malignant tumors can grow rapidly and cause significant symptoms.
Treatment: Malignant tumors usually require treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, whereas benign tumors can often be removed through relatively simple surgery, and the condition does not recur.

It is essential to understand the difference between tumors and cancer to seek proper treatment and maintain a higher chance of successful outcomes. Early detection and treatment are key to managing cancer successfully.