Lipoma Cancer – A lipoma is a tumour of fat cells that looks like a lumpy ball hidden underneath the skin. The accumulation of fat cells or adipocytes can occur in any organ of the body, most often on the trunk, where there is plenty of fat. The size of a lipoma ranges from 1 to 10 cm. This ball of lipoma cells is painless and tender on touch and may multiply to form several lipomas, which are the distinguishing features of various syndromes. Many people misunderstand it as cancer because it grows. Kindly make it clear that lipoma does not lead to cancer; they are slow-growing benign tumours.
What research says about lipoma??
According to an article published in the biotechnology journal, around 2-3 % of the affected patients have genetically inherited lipoma. Some metabolic disorders can also give rise to lipomas. These metabolic diseases include:
- 1. Hyperlipidaemia
- 2. Diabetes mellitus
- 3. Obesity
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Generally, a lipoma is harmless and can stay with you lifelong. However, if you find it growing and posing some discomfort, you must consult with a doctor for its removal.
Causes of lipomas
Lipomas in males or females?
The incidence rate of lipoma is slightly higher in males than females, which signifies that males are more susceptible to lipoma development than females, although females have comparatively more fat.
Is Lipoma communicable?
Lipomas are the group of fat cells that grow to form a lump over a muscle layer under your skin. It is a benign tumour but cannot spread to other body parts more often. Moreover, this problem is not transferable as this is not an infectious disease.
Symptoms and pathophysiology
Lipoma can be present in:
- A. Gastrointestinal tract: as submucosal fatty tumours (sub mucosa is a muscle layer), small intestine
- B. Oesophagus
- C. Stomach
The gastrointestinal tract lipomas are generally asymptomatic. It becomes symptomatic only when there is a bleeding or luminal abstraction.
- 1. Colonic lipomas: They are incidentally discovered during colonoscopy, revealing mature adipocytes. These colon lipomas cause pain with intussusception.
- 2. Cytogenetic abnormalities:
- 3. 65% of the patients with lipomas possess mutations in their genetic chromosomes
- 4. 10% of the patients with lipomas have genetic deletions, and 5% of people have chromosomal rearrangements.
- 5. The remaining 15-20 % affected population do not have significant changes in their chromosomes.
At this point, you must consult a doctor.
Although, a lipoma is generally not a serious problem. However, When the swelling cause pain, bleeding or the fat ball presses some of the underlying nerves, it may give rise to some other issues that cause discomfort in your daily life. You must see the doctor to dissolve this fatty ball or undergo surgery to remove it permanently.
Liposarcomas are cancerous, but lipomas are not.
People often misinterpret lipomas with liposarcomas. Confidently stating that liposarcomas are malignant neoplasms. Malignancy means that the group of fatty cells will start growing to other body sites, unlike benign lipomas confined at a particular site. Hence, liposarcomas are cancerous, and lipomas are not cancerous. Lipomas contain a single eccentric nucleus, whereas liposarcomas contain lipoblasts with vacuoles and multiple hyperchromatic nuclei.
Diagnosis
The lipomas are often easily visible and diagnosed without any diagnostic imaging tests. But when the lipomas are not visible or present inside the body’s organs, like a colonic lipoma. The doctors ask for an ultrasound.
You must inform your doctor if your lipoma is growing or if you notice it developing at more than one site of your body.
Treatment
Lipomas are painless lumps. They don’t need to be removed more often. However, in some cases, the patient wants to remove it, or the doctor advises the patient to get the lipoma removed. There are various reasons behind removing lipoma:
- 1. Cosmetic: If it is visible on the face or other body parts, the patient feels uncomfortable due to lipoma.
- 2. Your doctor is concerned about your growing lump
- 3. The lump is getting painful and showing other symptoms like bowel blockage
- 4. The doctor needs to ensure that it is a lipoma, not liposarcoma.
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For permanent cure from lipoma
Lipomas can develop in any organ containing fatty tissues. Lipomas are classified accordingly depending on the site of development of these benign tumours. For example, subcutaneous lipomas are those lipomas that grow in the subcutaneous layer, but as an exception, these lipomas do not limit to this place. Hence, these lipomas are surgically removed along with their fibrous capsule for permanent treatment. Glamyo health offers a painless treatment to remove lipoma permanently.
Procedure
I will recommend Glamyo health for lipoma treatment.
The procedure to treat this is minimally invasive, with a local anaesthetic.
A very minute cut will be there to remove the fatty lump present beneath the skin. That is sent to the laboratory for further examination.
Who is at high risk of developing lipoma?
There are various factors which prove to be favourable for lipoma development.
- 1. Age factor: Though lipoma can occur in people of any age group, however, people with 40- 60 years of age are at higher risk of developing lipoma than people at a younger age.
- 2. Hierarchical: Lipoma is a genetically inherited problem. People whose mother or father or someone in the family has lipoma have a 60 percent chance of getting lipoma.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What happens if the lipoma is left untreated?
Generally, lipomas do not hurt, and they will not remain as it is for their whole life. For some people, lipomas can be painful and disturbing. This painful condition happens when the lipoma presses some nerves or some blood vessels are affected due to its presence.
Q2. Can lipomas turn cancerous?
Liposarcomas are cancerous, but lipomas are not cancerous.
People often misinterpret lipomas with liposarcomas. To differentiate between the two, you need to know that liposarcomas are malignant neoplasms. Malignancy means that the adipocyte group will start growing to other body sites, unlike benign lipomas confined at a particular site. Hence, liposarcomas are cancerous, and lipomas are not cancerous. Lipomas contain a single eccentric nucleus, whereas liposarcomas contain lipoblasts with vacuoles and multiple hyperchromatic nuclei.
Q3. Can lipoma occur in females?
The incidence rate of lipoma is slightly higher in males than females, which signifies that males are more susceptible to lipoma development than females.
Q4. Is it a contagious problem? Or is this tumour spread to one another?
Lipomas are the group of fat cells that grow to form a lump over a muscle layer under your skin. It is a benign tumour but generally cannot spread to other parts of the body. Moreover, this problem is not contagious as lipoma is not an infectious disease.
Q5. What is the treatment procedure for lipoma?
Lipomas are painless lumps. They don’t need to be removed more often. However, in some cases, the patient wants to remove it, or the doctor advises the patient to get the lipoma removed. There are various reasons behind removing lipoma:
- 1. Cosmetic: If it is visible on the face or other body parts, the patient feels uncomfortable due to lipoma.
- 2. Your doctor is concerned about your growing lump
- 3. The lump is getting painful and showing other symptoms like bowel blockage
- 4. The doctor needs to ensure that it is a lipoma, not liposarcoma.
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The procedure to treat this is minimally invasive, with a local anaesthetic.
A very minute cut will be there to remove the fatty lump present beneath the skin. That is sent to the laboratory for further examination.
Q6. Is lipoma run in families?
Yes, some lipomas are hierarchical (60% affected patients). Lipoma is a genetically inherited problem. People whose mother or father or someone in the family has lipoma have a 60 percent chance of getting lipoma.
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