Benign growths are non-cancerous and do not spread to other parts of the body, but some can negatively affect health. Examples include moles and uterine fibroids, and doctors may order a biopsy to check for cancerous cells. It’s important to have benign growths evaluated and monitored.
A benign growth is basically a growth of cells that are not cancerous and do not spread to other parts of the body. In some cases, people use the term benign growth to mean a growth that doesn’t cause harm. While this is often accurate, it doesn’t cover all types of benign growths. There are some growths that are not cancerous, but still negatively affect a person’s health.
There are many types of benign growths, but one of the most familiar may be a mole. This type of benign growth is very common and consists of brown or black tissue that looks a bit like discolored skin; it can be flat or raised. Moles aren’t usually harmful, although some people don’t like the way they look. A mole is actually a collection of cells called melanocytes, which are cells responsible for pigment. Moles are thought to develop due to sun exposure and genetics.
Uterine fibroids are also benign growths, also called benign tumors, that grow in a woman’s uterus. In most cases, women who have uterine fibroids aren’t aware they have them until a doctor finds them. That doesn’t mean, however, that they never cause symptoms and can’t cause unpleasant health effects. In some cases, uterine fibroids cause excessive menstrual bleeding and pain. Sometimes, they can even complicate pregnancy or make it difficult for a fertilized egg to implant in a woman’s uterus.
With some types of benign growths, it can be difficult to determine whether or not cancerous cells are present. For example, if a person has a fluid-filled cyst, doctors can use diagnostic imaging to evaluate it. If it doesn’t look suspicious, they may feel safe saying it’s unlikely to be cancerous. On the other hand, however, a cyst that appears to contain some solid tissue may be more of a concern. Although they may think the growth is benign, doctors may order a biopsy to look for cancerous cells; that way, they can be sure the patient doesn’t have a malignant or cancerous growth that just looks benign.
When a patient has a benign growth, it’s usually a good idea to allow doctors to evaluate it. Sometimes common growths, like moles, can turn out to be something much more serious. After determining that a growth is benign, a doctor may also recommend follow-up evaluations to make sure it doesn’t change.
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