Benign tumors are noncancerous growths. These tend to be less aggressive than cancers and have little or no likelihood of spreading to other portions of the body (metastasizing). These tumors tend to grow slowly or not at all. When they occur inside the bone, they can cause thinning of the bone and increase the likelihood that the bone may break. In the soft tissues, compression on nerves and blood vessels may lead to symptoms. We often see benign tumors in the office that have been discovered during a workup of another problem. For example: x-rays taken for knee pain may show a benign tumor that has been there since childhood. In general, benign tumors are not life threatening. They occasionally, however, cause their own set of issues related to mass effect or thinning of the bone.

Common types of benign soft tissue tumors: (see glossary for more information)

• Hemangiomas
• Lipoma
• Ganglion Cyst

Common types of benign bone tumors: (see glossary for more information)

• Osteoid osteoma
• Aneurysmal bone cysts
• Giant cell tumor