Neoplasm Types and Factors That Cause Them

A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of cells in the body. It can be a small, benign (non-cancerous) growth such as a mole or a malignant (cancerous) or precancerous tumor. A malignant neoplasm can spread to other parts of the body.

Most of the time, neoplasms are not dangerous to your health. It is possible for a neoplasm to be cancerous, however. This is why it is important to see your healthcare provider if you notice a new or changing neoplasm.

This article reviews the types of neoplasms and how they are treated. It also discusses the possible outcomes for malignant neoplasms.

Recognizing a Neoplasm

A visible neoplasm may look exactly like your skin or it can be a different color or texture. Neoplasms are usually painless, but they can sometimes hurt or bleed. This is how a neoplasm differs from other conditions such as warts.

Neoplasms usually grow very slowly. It is rare for them to grow rapidly.

You may notice small neoplasms on the surface of your skin. They may appear in reachable areas of your body, such as your ear canals or nostrils. Neoplasms can also grow inside your body, where you can't see them.

In some instances, internal neoplasms may cause noticeable bumps. Usually, though, they are located deep beneath the surface of your skin and can't be seen from the outside.

Types of Neoplasms

There are trillions of normal, healthy cells inside the human body. These cells grow, divide, multiply, and die. When they die, they are replaced in a controlled manner. In the case of a neoplasm, however, the cells may grow more rapidly or survive longer than they are supposed to.

There are three types of neoplasms: benign, precancerous, and malignant.

Benign Neoplasms

Benign neoplasms may develop during late childhood or in adulthood. Benign tumors usually grow slowly, if at all. They are not generally life-threatening.

Benign neoplasms are caused by a limited overgrowth of cells, usually without a known cause. Examples include:

• Skin moles
• Skin tags (acrochordons)
• Cysts in sebaceous glands (sweat glands)
• Breast cysts that typically develop during pregnancy
• Encapsulated skin growth, often triggered by an insect bite or infection
• Raised scar tissue (keloids)
• Uterine fibroids

Although benign tumors are not cancer, it doesn't mean they can't cause problems. Fibroids, for example, can cause significant bleeding and pain and may need to be removed.

Sometimes benign tumors bear the same genetic mutations as malignant tumors, but they don't have local spread or metastasis. This suggests that malignant tumors may have other features besides genetic mutations that make them behave aggressively.

Malignant Tumors and Other Malignant Neoplasms

A metastatic neoplasm is a cancerous growth. It is most often associated with damage to a cell's DNA. This damage results in genetic mutations that cause abnormal cells to lose their normal function. These cells multiply faster, live longer, and invade other cells and tissue.

Certain factors can trigger these mutations, including:

• Genetics
• Sun exposure
• Toxic substances

Smoking, for example, can increase a person's risk of lung cancer. In addition, excessive alcohol use may lead to liver cancer.

A malignant neoplasm can grow in any body part and metastasize (spread) to virtually any other part. Some common types of malignant neoplasms include:

• Malignant neoplasm of breast/breast cancer: A malignant neoplasm may begin as a physical mass, such as a tumor in the breast.
  
• Leukemia: A neoplasm can also begin as overproduction of a cell type. This happens in leukemia, a cancer characterized by the overproduction of blood cells.
• Malignant lymph node neoplasm/lymphoma: Lymphomas occur when there is an overproduction of white blood cells called lymphocytes. These cancers affect the lymphatic system, which includes the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus gland. 
• Malignant neoplasm of the bone: These tumors form when bone cells divide out of control. Osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma are bone tumors typically found in people younger than 30. Malignant bone tumors called chondrosarcoma are more common in older adults.
• Skin tumors: The rapid growth of skin cells causes skin tumors. Squamous cell carcinomas begin in the top layer of skin called the epidermis. Basal cell carcinomas start in the cells in the lower part of the epidermis. Melanoma is the most severe type of skin cancer and begins in the pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
• Plasma cell neoplasms/myelomas: Myelomas occur when abnormal blood plasma cells build up in the bones or soft tissues. 
  

Precancerous Neoplasms

Precancerous neoplasms are growths that have not yet spread but have the potential to become cancer. They are usually diagnosed after a (biopsy) microscopic examination of the neoplasm.

Detecting and Classifying Neoplasms

It can be challenging to know if a neoplasm is cancerous or not. Often, your healthcare provider can tell based on the appearance, texture, and history of the growth. Then, the diagnosis can be confirmed with lab and imaging tests.

How Are Malignant Neoplasms Detected?

Your healthcare provider will likely order several tests to help determine if you have a malignant neoplasm. These may include:

• Lab work: Blood tests can look for substances in your blood that might suggest cancer. They can also determine if there is an overgrowth of blood cells. Blood tests can also provide clues about your overall health and how well your organs function. 
• Imaging tests: Imaging tests like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to find neoplasms inside your body. These tests can also determine whether cancer has spread to other body parts. 
• Biopsy: Your healthcare provider may want a biopsy to determine whether a neoplasm is malignant. During a biopsy, a small tissue sample is removed. The sample is examined under a microscope for signs of malignancy.
  

Pathology: Examining Tissue for Signs of Cancer

The microscopic appearance of a benign neoplasm is very different from the appearance of a cancerous or precancerous growth:

• A benign neoplasm usually has cells that appear normal with regular spacing between them.
• A cancerous or precancerous neoplasm usually has cells that appear abnormal in size, shape, or color. In addition, there is often crowded and irregular spacing between the cells and possible invasion into nearby tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
  

Treatment for Malignant Neoplasms

Treatment for malignant neoplasms depends on several factors, such as the type of tumor, where it is located, and if it has spread to other parts of the body.

Surgery

Surgery tends to work best for solid tumors that haven't spread. A solid tumor is a mass such as a breast tumor. In the early stages of cancer, surgery may be the only necessary treatment.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves the use of one or more anti-cancer drugs. It targets fast-growing cancer cells and works throughout your body rather than in a specific area. It is often used to prevent cancer from spreading or treat cancer that has already spread. It can also help shrink a tumor before surgery, making cancer easier to remove. 

Radiation

Radiation therapy targets the tumor directly. High doses of radiation are used to destroy the cancer cells during this treatment. This treatment aims to cure early-stage tumors or reduce their size.

Ablation

Ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for solid tumors. A healthcare provider uses a tiny probe to freeze or burn cancer cells during this procedure. Ablation tends to work best for smaller tumors.

Embolization

During this minimally invasive procedure, a small tube is inserted inside the primary blood vessel that supplies blood to the tumor.

The goal of embolization is to disrupt the blood supply so the cancerous tumor cells die. This can be done with small particles or beads that block the blood supply. Chemotherapy drugs or radioactive particles can also be delivered through the tube. 

Hormonal Therapy

Some cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer rely on hormones to grow. Hormone therapy can prevent the body from producing specific hormones or interfere with the behavior of hormones. This can help reduce the size of a tumor or help prevent it from coming back after surgery or other treatments. 

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that helps stimulate your body's immune system to fight cancer. This can be done in a few different ways. Some examples include:

• Immunotherapy drugs: Certain drugs stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells.
• Manufactured antibodies: These disease-fighting antibodies target and disable specific proteins on the surface of certain cells.
• Cancer vaccines: Like other types of vaccines, cancer vaccines create an immune response allowing your body to fight cancer like other diseases.
  
• Oncolytic viruses: These are modified viruses that are designed to infect and destroy cancer cells.
  

Outlook

The outlook for people with malignant neoplasm depends on the type of cancer and whether or not it has spread. Cancers caught in the early stages tend to have a much better prognosis than those caught in the later stages. 

For example, people with localized melanoma have a five-year survival rate of 99%. This means that 99% of these individuals will still be alive five years after diagnosis. 

However, people with metastatic melanoma have a five-year survival rate of 30%.

This is why it is important to see a healthcare provider immediately if you find a lump or growth anywhere on your body.

Summary

A neoplasm is an abnormal growth in the body. Neoplasms can be benign or malignant. 

Neoplasms can be diagnosed with lab tests, imaging tests, and a biopsy. These tests can determine if a neoplasm is benign or malignant.

Treatment for malignant neoplasms depends on where they are located and if they have spread. Typical treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. In some cases, hormonal therapy or immunotherapy can also help.