Tumors can result from abnormal cellular growth in healthy tissues throughout the body. Unlike cancerous tumors, which have the ability to invade other tissues throughout the body, benign tumors remain fixed in place and form highly localized growths. While most benign tumors do not pose as serious a threat as cancer, they can lead to a number of health risks.
Organ Damage and Pain
One health risk of benign tumor growth is organ damage that can occur as the tumor progresses. Continued tumor growth places pressure on tissues at the margins of the tumor, and this increased pressure can lead to tissue damage, which in turn allows more space for further tumor growth. In addition, tumors may place pressure on the nerves that surround them, causing nerve damage and chronic pain. Depending on the location of tumor growth, patients may experience headaches, chest, abdominal or pelvic pain or pain in the extremities. Although patients may control the pain that results from tumor growth, without addressing the cause of the pain, they are at risk for organ and tissue damage as the tumor progresses. Patients experiencing unexplained chronic pain must see a doctor to investigate the underlying source.
Hormone Disruption
Some types of tumors lead to health issues such as hormonal disruption. The body produces hormones via a series of endocrine glands, which are located around the body in areas such as the brain, throat and on top of the kidneys. Normally, the body tightly controls hormone production, with glands producing new amounts of hormone to meet the body's needs. A benign tumor on an endocrine gland may lead to an over- or underproduction of hormones that results in an overall hormone imbalance throughout the body. The Hormone Foundation indicates that benign tumors that affect the pituitary gland---an endocrine gland at the base of the brain---can lead to imbalances of numerous hormones and cause abnormalities in muscle maintenance, breast milk production and the body's water balance.
Cancer
Some benign tumors pose a health risk because of the possibility that they will become cancerous. Similar to cancerous tumors, benign tumors develop from mutations in previously healthy cells. The cells begin to divide rapidly, forming the benign mass. If the tumor continues to grow and tumor cells continue to accumulate genetic mutations, the cells may eventually become capable of invading other tissues---a hallmark of a cancerous tumor. Some benign tumors pose a significant risk of developing into cancer: patients with lobular carcinoma in situ, a benign growth within the lobules of the breast, are at a significantly higher risk for breast cancer later in life, according to BreastCancer.org. Patients can reduce their risk of developing cancer by seeking medical evaluation of benign tumors and having any abnormal growth removed before it becomes cancerous.
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