How to Know if You Have a Lipoma, Is Cancer Curable

How to Know if You Have a Lipoma, Is Cancer Curable

A lipoma is a non-cancerous tumor, also known as a fatty tumor. These sort of tumors are normally found on your torso, neck, armpit, upper arms, thighs, and in internal organs. Luckily, lipomas are generally not life-threatening and can be treated effectively if they cause you discomfort. That being said, it is always good to know what to look for and how to deal with a lipoma if it develops.







Recognizing the Symptoms.





Look for a small bump under the skin. Lipomas generally appear as dome-shaped lumps that can range in size, usually between the size of a pea and roughly 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. If you have a lump under the skin on your body this size, it may be a lipoma.

Some lipomas may be larger than 3 centimetres (1.2 in). Additionally, you might not be able to fully feel them.

These lumps are formed by an abnormal and rapid increase of fat cells in the area.

However, if your bump is larger, harder, and less mobile, it may be a cyst. Additionally, cysts may feel tender, could become infected, and might drain.

Tip: In rare cases, lipoma can grow much bigger than 3 centimetres (1.2 in). When they are larger than 5 centimetres (2.0 in), they are called giant lipomas.



Feel the bump to determine how soft it is. Lipoma tumors are generally pretty soft to the touch, meaning that they will move under your finger if you press down on them. These sort of tumors are only slightly attached to the area surrounding them, so while they will stay relatively in place, you will be able to make it move around slightly under your skin.

This will help you determine whether you have a lipoma, a tumor, or a cyst. Cysts and tumors have more defined shapes and are firmer, compared to a lipoma.

If the lipoma is deep in your tissue, which is rare, it may be hard to feel its firmness and to determine its overall size.





Pay attention to any pain you feel. While lipoma tumors are generally painless because the lumps don't have any nerves, they can sometimes become painful if they grow in certain spots on your body. For example, if the tumor is near a nerve and the tumor starts to grow, it might put pressure on the nerve, causing pain.

Talk to your doctor if you start feeling pain near a lipoma spot.



Have the lump looked at by a doctor when it appears or if it changes. Check with your doctor if you notice a new mass growing or if a lump changes shape or size. It's important to get a qualified diagnosis rather than self-diagnosing your problem so that you can get proper treatment for your condition.

Your doctor will be able to determine the difference between a lipoma and other types of tumors and cysts.







Getting a Medical Diagnosis.



Write down when you noticed the lump. It is important to know how long the lump has been there and whether or not it has changed over time. When you first notice a lump, write down the date, location, and general shape of it.

This will help your doctor assess the seriousness of the lump and whether it should be removed because it keeps growing.

Tip: Keep in mind that a lump can stay in the same place for years without changing or giving you any bad side effects. Most people only get them removed because they don't like how they look.





Watch the lump to see if it's growing. When you first notice the lump, measure it with a tape measure so that you can keep track of any growth. If you notice that the tumor has grown over the course of a month or 2, go to see a doctor to have it looked at, even if they have already looked at it in the past.

It can be difficult to tell if there has been much growth because these sort of tumors grow very slowly.

A lipoma tumor can start out as the size of a pea and grow from there. However, it will generally cap off at about 3 centimetres (1.2 in)in diameter, so anything that grows larger than this might not be a lipoma.





Have the lump looked at by a doctor. If you notice any unusual or new lumps on your body, you should always have them looked at by a doctor. Schedule an exam and tell them that you want to have a lump looked at. Once in the exam room, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and they will feel the lump.

In many cases, your doctor will be able to diagnose lipoma just by feeling the lump. However, they may want to do diagnostic tests to confirm their suspicions about the growth.

Tests that your doctor may run include: X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and biopsy.