Benign Tumor

Discuss this oxymoron in the comments below.

3.9/10 - (32 votes)

Guest says:

May 24, 2012 at 6:45 pm

A tumour is a medical term for a lump. It does not mean cancer.
Scottishsponger says:

June 20, 2012 at 1:13 am

This is NOT an oxymoron. Moron.
Santa's Lil' Helper says:

March 1, 2021 at 5:22 pm

I believe the correct wording here would be “benign cancer.” As a nurse, I hear this phrase used often by patients, who mistakenly believe the terms “cancer” and “tumor” can be used interchangeably. As stated in another comment, “tumor” is the proper medical term for an abnormal growth of cells that form a solid swelling of tissue (i.e. mass, lump). Tumors are classified as either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) according to certain cellular characteristics (e.g. appearance and/or arrangement; rate of reproduction; ability to invade surrounding tissues; mobility; risk of recurrence post-removal). A benign tumor is therefore a valid (and oft-used) medical phrase, while benign cancer is an oxymoron.

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