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Q: Neoplasms -- I really, really like neoplasms. I don't know why but I just do. What's the
difference between benign and malignant neoplasms?
A: It can get very confusing, but keep in mind that benign is not bad, malignant is
monstrous. It's not good. Let's look at what we've got there; I've got a couple of samples.
This is actually art, but it is what I would draw on a board when I was teaching. I'd say,
you have all these cells and let's say all of your cells are circles -- because actually
plant cells are square, if you guys didn't know that from your school. Let's say we've
got all of these nice little circles and squares and they're your cells and they are working
well together, they are in good format and everything; but did you notice some of these
are darker than the other ones, so they're different. Let's say, all of the normal cells
doing their function are the lighter color, but if cells change or mutate they aren't
the same as the other cells and these change colors.
So, let's talk about this: Neoplasm is another word for tumor. In general, tumors occur when
cells divide and grow excessively in the body. Normal cells grow and have division and are
strictly controlled. They know their job and they do it well. New cells are created to
replace the old ones or to perform new functions. In other words, if you burn yourself, those
cells died and they're taken off and new cells replace them and do the same function that
the old cells were supposed to do.
Cells that are damaged or no longer needed die to make room for healthy replacements
-- burn is an excellent example. If the balance of cell growth and death is disturbed, a tumor
may form. Again, think of this picture with the circles and the squares.
Now let's consider the cells. They all have a function and when an abnormal cell starts
replicating itself it takes over space of the normal cells and makes it difficult for
them to function, then you're going to cause a tumor. So you saw those dark cells, let's
say that those dark cells circles don't work as well as the normal light-colored circles
cells. That would cause a tumor because they're not working properly. Now, when those not
normal dark cells start replicating themselves that's a problem, that's malignant. They start
growing and they're taking over and mutating and they don't work as well as the normal
light-colored cells. They're similar but they're not the same; therefore, the body can't function
as properly as it needs to.
We'll scroll down a little bit we'll see a picture of a dollhouse. This is the most amazing
description of -- I tried to say this verbally when I found this dollhouse -- this is the
best way to think of it. You've got this great little dollhouse -- that's your body. And
all of this little furniture and little people in there, that's your organs in your body.
Now, let's take one of those plastic grocery bags that you get from the store and we're
going to poke a hole, we're going to push it through one of those windows. We're going
to shove that in there. That is going to represent our malignant cells. If you just put that
in there, you can kind of weave its way around the furniture, the organs. It may not be causing
you any problems but malignant cells replicate themselves and they're invasive, they take
over.
Have you ever seen that expanding insulation foam, it's amazing stuff, but it comes like
a [*** gun - 0:48:17]. Let's stick that into that bag from the outside and let's shoot
some of that foam in there. And then all of a sudden that bag -- just picture this through
a window -- that bag expanding and pushing that furniture, moving all of that stuff around.
If it continues to expand, it's going to knock down walls. So, if your organs are the furniture
and that bag is expanding and messing up those organs and not allowing those organs to work
properly because -- think of your lungs, you put one of those bags in your lung and you
fill it with that foam, your lung can't get the air in that it needs. So, therefore, it
causes a problem with that organ. Now, a tumor will cause a problem as well because it takes
up space.
Again, think of somebody who had a tumor in their brain, it could be benign and it's just
sitting there. It can grow but it's not taking over the brain cells and changing the way
they work. It's just like stepping on a rock, it's going to be painful and cause problems.
It's not meant to be there. A lot of times, they'll go in there and they'll take it out,
or they'll excise it. If it's in a really bad place they can be complicated; but if
it's malignant, it's going to start changing and turning those good cells into mutant cells
and it's invasive, it will grow. So, they not only have to remove malignant but they
also have to usually use chemotherapy or radiation because they're just little monsters, they're
little mutants and when they grab a hold of good healthy cells, they take over and change
them. That's the difference between benign and malignant. They're both abnormal cells.
And benign will just sit there and take up space which can be very harmful, but once
it's removed and excised it's not going to come back; whereas a malignant tumor is invasive
and it wants to take up space and it thrives on growing and changing the atmosphere that
it's in. That's the difference between benign and malignant.
Now, every time you see a dollhouse you're going to think of malignancies, aren't you?
I'm sorry to ruin that childhood concept for you.