What Are Tumors?

Research papers that discuss tumors usually focus on malignant tumors. Benign tumors can also be discussed depending upon the type of research paper you need. Whichever type of tumor you need explicated, the writers at Paper Masters will custom write a project on tumors exactly how you need it done. You give us your specifications and our writers write a model research paper exactly according to your topic.

When healthy cells begin to proliferate at an abnormal rate, they will in some cases stick together. This mass of cells forms what is known as a tumor. Although the word tumor is often associated with cancer, the reality is that not all tumors are cancer. To understand the difference, an explication of benign and malignant tumors is warranted.

• Benign Tumor - These tumors are not invasive, do not spread to other parts of the body and do not cause damage to tissue and organs. Once they are removed they do not typically return.

• Malignant tumors - Malignant tumors are invasive and can cause tissue damage. Cells from these types of tumors generally invade the bloodstream, or metastasize, and spread the cancer to other areas and organs in the body.

Malignant tumors can be removed from the body however, the potency of these tumors means that in many cases they will return. There are a number of malignant tumors that can form. Carcinomas are a form of malignant tumor that develops in tissues covering organs of the body. These include the skin, uterus, lung and breast. Malignant tumors of the soft tissue are considered to be sarcomas. Soft tissue includes all of the tissue in the body that supports or surrounds organs including muscles, tendons, blood vessels and nerves.

Malignant cells have also been observed to undergo a loss of their ability to anchor themselves. This phenomenon, known as anchorage-dependent growth, is observed in normal cells and the basic principle is that when suspended in fluid, normal cells do not grow well. If the cells are allowed to make contact with a suitable surface, they will attach, spread, and proliferate. Malignant cells from tumors do not need surface adhesion to grow and will proliferate suspended in fluid (i.e. blood serum). It is not clear what alteration of cellular function causes the loss of anchorage-dependence in malignant cells. It is theorized that the problem relates to some property of cell surface membranes.

Another property that distinguishes transformed malignant cells from normal cells is the requirement for serum growth factors for replication. Cells transformed to malignant cells have lower serum growth requirements than their normal counterparts. Transformed cells are able to provide their own growth factors and therefore need less of the serum factors that are required for normal cells.