Can they be lumped together?
Are there differences between tumors, polyps and cysts? Yes and no. According to Robert Spence, M.D., plastic surgeon and co-director of the Burn Center, all three are masses (lumps).
In medical terminology, a tumor is defined as any swelling or mass. However, when most people speak of a tumor, they generally refer to a solid mass, most often a swelling that is composed only of tissue. A cyst, however, is like a balloon filled with water - a fluid-filled mass with tissue forming the outside. A polyp is a mass on a stalk. In other words, the top is larger than the bottom. Picture the polyp on the wall of the bowel. As food and other material pass by, it is pulled away from the bowel wall, but remains attached by a piece of tissue (the stalk).
If you are told you have a tumor, polyp or cyst, it doesn't automatically mean it's malignant (cancerous). There are malignant and benign tumors, polyps and cysts. Cysts themselves are generally not malignant because the fluid itself is not cancerous, but the tissue that makes up the wall of a cyst may be malignant.
As in the case of tumors, polyps and cysts, sometimes medical terms may be confusing. Always ask your doctor for clarification if you aren't sure what something means.
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