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Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

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Tumor - Symptom

Alternative Names

Mass; Neoplasm

Symptoms:

Symptoms depend on the type and location of the tumor. For example, lung tumors may cause coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain, while tumors of the colon can cause weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, iron deficiency anemia, and blood in the stool.

Some tumors produce no symptoms, but symptoms that may occur with tumors include:

Signs and tests:

Like the symptoms, the signs of tumors vary based on their site and type.

When a tumor is found, a biopsy is performed to determine if the tumor is non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Depending on the location of the tumor, the biopsy may be a simple procedure or a serious operation.

Most patients with tumors undergo CT scans or MRI to determine the exact location of the tumor and how far it has spread. More recently, positron emission tomography (PET) scans have been used to find certain tumor types.

Other tests include:

  • Reviewed last on: 8/3/2008
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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