Tumor vs. Cancer: Understanding the Difference
Summary
Tumors are abnormal tissue growths that can be benign or malignant, while cancer is a disease marked by uncontrolled cell division and spread. Doctors use biopsy and staging systems such as TNM to determine whether a tumor is cancerous and how far the disease has progressed.
Key Points
- A tumor is a mass of abnormal cell growth that may be cancerous or non-cancerous.
- Cancer is malignant and can spread to surrounding tissues and distant organs.
- Doctors often use biopsy to determine whether a tumor is cancerous.
- Cancer is staged from zero to four, while tumors themselves are not staged in the same way.
