About this disease
What it is about
Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors displace healthy tissue through their growth. They can be caused by inflammation, for example. Malignant, i.e. malignant tumors, are called cancer. They destroy healthy tissue and can spread throughout the body. Causes of cancer often cannot be identified, but numerous risk factors are known. In principle, any organ can be altered or affected by a tumor. Accordingly, the complaints that can arise from it are very different.
Types
Examples of benign tumors are inflammations, abscesses, lipomas, moles or meningiomas, i.e. slow-growing tumors originating from the meninges. Examples of malignant tumors are all types of cancer - from breast cancer to colon cancer to lung cancer.
Symptoms and consequences
Benign tumors often do not cause any symptoms. However, they can also cause problems if, for example, they grow in a place where space is limited. An example of this is a meningioma, which grows inside the head in the area of the meninges. Malignant tumors also often do not cause any symptoms at the beginning. Because cancer grows in an infiltrative manner, local discomfort such as pain may develop. Symptoms can often be of a general nature, such as weight loss or fatigue, if the disease is advanced.
What we do for you
Examination and diagnosis
The first step in the medical consultation is to obtain a medical history, perform a clinical examination and initiate the further clarification steps. These usually consist of a blood test and imaging, e.g. X-ray, ultrasound, computer tomography (CT). Depending on the patient's condition, further examinations such as mirror examinations (e.g. lungs, intestines) or even operations may be necessary in order to make a diagnosis. In the end, this is almost always based on the results of an examination of a tissue or cell sample.
Treatment
In the case of a benign tumor, no therapy may be needed (e.g. lipoma). In the case of inflammation, minor surgery (e.g. abscess) may be necessary. Often, decongestant local therapy helps with inflammation (e.g., cooling, pain medication). In the case of a malignant tumor, an aggressive approach is usually indicated, using a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and oncological system therapy such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy, depending on the type of cancer.