CYST OR TUMORS

.
Cyst. A cyst is a sac that may be filled with air, fluid or other material. A cyst
can form in any part of the body, including bones, organs and soft tissues.
Most cysts are noncancerous (benign), but sometimes cancer can cause a cyst.
Tumor. A tumor is any abnormal mass of tissue or swelling. Like a cyst, a tumor
can form in any part of the body. A tumor can be benign or cancerous
(malignant).

A tumor refers to any unusual area of extra tissue. Both cysts and tumors can
appear in your skin, tissue, organs, and bonesA cyst is a sac that may be filled
with air, fluid or other material.
A cyst can form in any part of the body, including bones, organs and soft
tissues. Most cysts are noncancerous (benign), but sometimes cancer can
cause a cyst. Tumor.
A tumor is any abnormal mass of tissue or swelling.

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 Characteristic Cyst Tumor
fast-growing ✓
red and swollen ✓
blackhead in center ✓

white, yellow, or green

✓
discharge

✓
firm

tender ✓

able to move around under

✓
skin
 SYMPTOMS
bleeds
changes color.
grows quickly.
itches.
ruptures.
looks red or swollen
Warning signs
While most cysts and tumors can wait until your next appointment with
your doctor, let them know immediately if you notice that the lump:

bleeds
changes color
grows quickly
itches
ruptures
looks red or swollen
 What causes cysts?
• There are many types of cysts with a variety of causes. Some
types are related to an underlying medical condition Others
form directly on your skin’s surface when dead skin cells
multiply instead of falling off like they usually do. Other
causes of cysts include:

• irritation or injury to a hair follicle

• a clogged duct within the hair follicle
• degeneration of connective joint tissue
• ovulation
 Common Types of Cysts
• Epidermoid Cysts: Appear as small, slow-growing growths on
the genitals, back, head, neck, or face.
• Sebaceous Cysts: Arise from a clogged pore and are often
found on the neck, torso, or face.
• Breast Cysts: Fluid-filled sacs inside the breast.
• Ganglion Cysts: Appear near the tendons or joints.
• Pilonidal Cysts: Form near the cleft of the buttocks and close
to the tailbone.
• Ovarian Cysts: Develop within one or both ovaries.
 Classifications of Tumors
• There are three main classifications of tumors:

• Benign
• Premalignant
• Malignant
• For example, a benign tumor may become malignant. That’s why
close monitoring is important.

Benign Tumors
• Most benign tumors are harmless and are unlikely to affect other
parts of the body.

• However, benign tumors can press against nerves and blood vessels.
If located in the endocrine system
 Premalignant Tumors
• Premalignant tumors aren’t cancerous.
However, if they continue growing, they may exhibit cancerous
properties. That being said, premalignant tumors must be
monitored closely
Malignant Tumors
Malignant tumors are cancerous and can spread to other body
systems, increasing mortality. Some common types include skin
cancers and sarcomas.
 Diagnosing Tumors and Cysts
It may be possible to recognize the difference between a tumor
and cyst during a physical exam.

However, to eliminate any uncertainty, most physicians will

conduct further testing. This may include running diagnostic
imaging tests, including:

Ultrasounds
Mammograms
CT scans
MRI scans
A biopsy may also be needed to determine if the growth is
cancerous
Blood tests
 TREATMENT
chemotherapy
radiation therapy
Surgery
Medications;
bevacizumab (Avastin)
alectinib (Alecensa)
ibrutinib (Imbruvica)
imatinib (Gleevec)
palbociclib
 Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs are chemical agents that work by destroying fast-
growing cells in the body. Cancer cells grow and divide more rapidly than
other cells. The goal of chemotherapy is to lower the total number of cancer
cells in your body and reduce the chances that the cancer will spread to other
parts of the body (metastasize)
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is used to treat cancers that rely on hormones to grow. This
may include certain types of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Breast cancers
may be fed by estrogen or progesterone, while prostate cancers often depend
on the hormone androgen.

Some examples of hormone therapies include:

leuprolide (Lupron)
anastrozole (Arimidex)
letrozole (Femara)
tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapies are part of a new approach known as
personalized medicine or precision medicine. Targeted therapies are
able to seek out and kill cancerous cells without harming the
normal cells in your body. These drugs work by blocking the
molecular pathways that are critical to tumor growth. Examples of
Targeted oncology drugs include:

bevacizumab (Avastin)
alectinib (Alecensa)
ibrutinib (Imbruvica)
imatinib (Gleevec)
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a type of targeted therapy that uses the body’s
own immune system to attack cancer cells. Cancer cells sometimes
have strategic ways of hiding from your immune system, but
immunotherapies work by blocking these mechanisms.

Immunotherapies are approved to treat a variety of cancers.

Examples include:

nivolumab (Opdivo)
pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
ipilimumab (Yervoy)
• Common side effects of chemotherapy include:

• hair loss
• nausea and vomiting
• diarrhea
• mouth sores
• loss of appetite
• low white blood cells, which may make it harder to fight off
infections
• fatigue
• dizziness