Teratoma

[Orleander]

A doctor in Colorado found a surprise when removing what he thought was a benign growth from a newborn's brain. Instead of a microscopic tumor, out popped a tiny foot, partially formed hand, a thigh and another partially formed foot.

"It would be a shock to even the most experienced pathologist cutting into a tumor to see this," Dr. Paul Grabb told the ABC affiliate KMGH.

Grabb said he could not tell whether the miniature limbs were from a benign stem cell tumor called a teratoma or the remnants of an identical twin that did not split off and survive, a condition called fetus in fetu.

"It looked like the breach delivery of a baby, coming out of the brain," Grabb told The Associated Press. "To find a perfectly formed structure is extremely unique, unusual, borderline unheard of."

Is a teratoma just random cells that start to grow? Is this any different than cancer?

 

[Idle Mind]

To be called cancer, there needs to be certain criteria met by the tumour. Not every tumour is considered "cancer".

A teratoma, as described on wikipedia, is:

Definitive diagnosis of a teratoma is based on its histology: a teratoma is a tumor with tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of all three germ layers. Rarely, not all three germ layers are identifiable. The tissues of a teratoma, although normal in themselves, may be quite different from surrounding tissues, and may be highly inappropriate, even grotesque: teratomas have been reported to contain hair, teeth, bone and very rarely more complex organs

Normally you wouldn't find a fully formed foot.

 

[Fraggle Rocker]

That looks like something from an episode of South Park.

 

[Orleander]

To be called cancer, there needs to be certain criteria met by the tumour. Not every tumour is considered "cancer".

A teratoma, as described on wikipedia, is:

Normally you wouldn't find a fully formed foot.

what? I needs to spread? It needs to change what it touches?

 

[Orleander]

That looks like something from an episode of South Park.

I thought of Stephen King's The Dark Half

 

[Idle Mind]

what? I needs to spread? It needs to change what it touches?

Metastasis is one, yes. Uncontrolled and invasive growth, which causes damage to surrounding tissues are the others, according to wikipedia. Angiogenesis occurs as well, in cancerous tissues. The growth of blood vessels allows the cancerous tumour to grow to a much larger size.

 

[Orleander]

so non-cancerous tumours don't have growth inducing blood vessels?