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Solid tumors can be benign or malignant and are classified as sarcomas, carcinomas, or lymphomas. Diagnosis involves medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic tests. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Symptoms depend on the location and growth rate of the tumor.
A solid tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue without a cyst or fluid. It can be benign, i.e. non-cancerous, or malignant, i.e. cancerous. There are three classes of solid tumors. These are sarcomas, carcinomas and lymphomas. Classification requires the identification of cell types in a patient’s body.
Sarcomas are tumors formed by the connective tissues of the body, such as bones or muscles. This type of tumor is assigned a low, intermediate or high grade depending on the cellular characteristics of the tumor. Low-grade sarcomas are usually treated with surgery. Intermediate-grade and high-grade sarcomas are usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Carcinomas arise in the glandular and epithelial cells of the body. These cells line the airways and gastrointestinal tract of the body. Adrenocortical carcinomas arise in the adrenal cortex, which makes hormones that help the body function properly. Thyroid cancers arise from the thyroid gland, which produces hormones that affect heart rate, body temperature, energy level, and calcium level. Other cancers include nasopharyngeal cancer, which affects the upper throat, and skin cancer.
Lymphomas arise in the lymphoid organs, which include the lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. These organs are responsible for producing and storing cells that help the body fight infection. Lymphomas are the most common form of blood cancer in the developed world, accounting for 5.3% of all cancers in the United States. People with weakened immune systems, such as patients with HIV, have a higher incidence of this type of solid tumor.
There are no clear-cut symptoms for a solid tumor due to the wide variety of organs in which it can develop. The symptoms a person experiences depend on which organ the cancer has targeted, where in that organ the tumor is located, the growth rate of the cancer cells, and whether the cancer has spread to other organs. This is called metastasis.
A doctor will diagnose a solid tumor by taking a patient’s medical history, conducting a physical exam, and administering a series of diagnostic tests. X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs all provide internal images of a specific area within the body. A PET scan can be used to check for cancer cells, which appear as dark areas on the scan. Doctors can take biopsies to remove tissue and examine it under a microscope.
Treatments for these cancers depend on a number of factors, including the location of the cancer, its stage, and the health of the patient. Options include surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses X-rays and other types of radiation to do the same job.
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