PSY 324 Chapter : Week 7 - Neurological Disorders
13 Dec 2011
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
A tumor is a mass of cells whose growth is uncontrolled and that serves no useful function. Some tumors are malignant, or cancerous, and others are benign (harmless). Major distinction between malignancy and benignancy is whether the tumor is encapsulated: whether there is a distinct border between the mass of tumor cells and the surrounding tissue. If there is a border, the tumor is benign; the surgeon can cut it out and the tumour will not regrow. If the tumor grows by infiltrating the surrounding tissue, there will be no clear-cut border between the tumor and normal tissue. Malignant tumors often metastasize, which means that they will shed cells, which then travel through the bloodstream, lodge in capillaries, and serve as seeds for the growth of new tumors in different locations in the body. Tumors damage brain tissue by two means: compression and infiltration. Even a benign tumor can compress brain tissue and threaten a patient"s life.
