How can you tell the difference between a tumor and a cyst?

also, is it possible to have a cancerous tumor that doesn't hurt?

How can you tell the difference between a tumor and a cyst?
A tumor is a solid mass; a cyst is fluid-filled. And you can indeed have a cancerous tumor that does not hurt.
Reply:See a doctor who will perform a biopsy to check. Cancerous tumors rarely hurt.
Reply:Biopsy or ultrasound are the only ways to know, and a biopsy is more reliable than ultrasound.
Reply:When you touch a tumor,it's hard,like a stone under your fingers.A cyst is pliable,it moves under pressure,like a small balloon filled with water. Tumors on the surface do not normally hurt. PLEASE go and have it checked out now. Good Luck.
Reply:tumor is a mass of cells dividing uncontrolably due to a genetic variation caused by carcinogens, in born genetic defects, etc.. we can assume cyst to be a bag (a membrane enclosing malfomed cells or it may have only some body fluids or pus.. etc..) difference can be elicited by ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration,etc





tumor can hurt in two ways..1) a region supplied by nerves developing a tumor. 2)when a tumor excerts mechanical pressure on the adjacent tissues supplied by nerves..





when there are no no nerves involved in both the above cases, a tumor can be painless..

daphne