The key difference between fatty lump and cancer is that a fatty lump is a non-cancerous lump that forms due to an overgrowth of fat cells, while fatty cancer is a cancer in fatty tissue characterized by the development of abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably and infiltrate the normal body tissue.
Fatty tissue or adipose tissue is a connective tissue mainly composed of fat cells called adipocytes. Fatty lumps and cancer are two conditions that affect the fatty tissue of the body. Fatty lump is a non-cancerous condition, unlike fatty cancer. However, there is a rare chance of a fatty lump converting into fatty cancer.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Fatty Lump
3. What is Fatty Cancer
4. Similarities – Fatty Lump and Cancer
5. Fatty Lump vs. Cancer in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Fatty Lump vs. Cancer
What is Fatty Lump?
A fatty lump, also known as a lipoma, is a non-cancerous lump that forms due to an overgrowth of fat cells. It is a round or oval-shaped lump that grows under the skin. It is a very common condition, and about 1 in every 1,000 people has a fatty lump. A fatty lump is a small soft lump with less than 2 inches in width. Moreover, it may feel doughy and move easily with finger pressure. A fatty lump is normally painless, but it can be painful if it bumps against nearby nerves or has blood vessels. A fatty lump is caused after an injury or due to inherited conditions.
Figure 01: Fatty Lump
Fatty lump is usually diagnosed through physical examination, biopsy, and imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI. Furthermore, a fatty lump is treated by surgically removing it with a small cut, steroids, and liposuction.
What is Fatty Cancer?
Fatty cancer, also known as liposarcoma, is a rare type of cancer that develops in the fatty tissue, which can grow commonly in the abdomen, thigh, and behind the knee. Fatty cancer is a malignant tumor. Therefore, it can spread to other areas, including vital organs. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include a new lump anywhere on the body or an existing lump that grows persistently into a larger size, painful swelling or numbness in the area of the lump, blood in the stool, or black stool, and blood in the vomit, and abdominal pain. Fatty cancer can be caused by some rare genetic diseases, previous radiation treatments people have had in the past, and a family history of liposarcoma or other soft-tissue cancers.
Figure 02: Fatty Cancer
Fatty cancer can be diagnosed through physical examination, examining the suspicious tissue under a microscope, X-rays, MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound. Furthermore, treatment for fatty cancer may include surgical removal of the tumor, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
What are the Similarities Between Fatty Lump and Cancer?
- Fatty lumps and cancer both affect the fatty tissue in the body.
- Fatty lumps can rarely convert to fatty cancer.
- Both conditions may show similar symptoms, such as lump development in different parts of the body.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
- They are mainly treated through surgical removal of the lump.
What is the Difference Between Fatty Lump and Cancer?
A fatty lump is a non-cancerous lump that forms due to an overgrowth of fat cells, while fatty cancer refers to cancer in fatty tissue characterized by the development of abnormal cells which divide uncontrollably and infiltrate the normal body tissue. Thus, this is the key difference between fatty lump and cancer. Furthermore, a fatty lump is a common condition, while fatty cancer is a rare condition.
The infographic below presents the differences between fatty lump and cancer in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Fatty Lump vs Cancer
Fatty lumps and cancer both affect the fatty tissue of the body. They are related conditions as fatty lumps sometimes convert to fatty cancer. A fatty lump is a non-cancerous lump of fat tissue that grows in the soft tissues of the body. Fatty cancer is a rare type of cancer that develops in the fatty tissue. So, this summarizes the difference between fatty lump and cancer.
Reference:
1. Moore, Kristeen. “Lipoma (Skin Lumps).” Healthline.
2. “Liposarcoma.” Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Lipoma 06” By Sebastian E Valbuena, Greg A O'Toole and Eric Roulot – Sebastian E Valbuena, Greg A O' Toole and Eric Roulot: Compression of the median nerve in the proximal forearm by a giant lipoma: A case report. In: Journal of Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury 2008, 3:17 doi:10.1186/1749-7221-3-17 (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Liposarcoma 01” By Panoraia Paraskeva, Paraskevas Katsaronis, Eleftherios D Spartalis, Andreas C Lazaris, Hara Gakiopoulou, Panagiotis Mallis and Periklis Tomos – Giant liposarcoma of the back with 4 types of histopathology: a case report In: Cases Journal 2009, 2:9339 doi:10.1186/1757-1626-2-9339 (Open Access) (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia