Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Exam Prep 2025 – Complete Practice Resource

A defining characteristic of a tumor in dermatological terms is that it can be benign or malignant and is greater than a few centimeters in diameter. Tumors refer to abnormal growths of tissue that can arise from various sources in the skin, including cells that are benign, which are non-cancerous, or malignant, which are cancerous. The size criterion of being greater than a few centimeters helps differentiate significant tumors from smaller lesions, which might not be classified as tumors.

In contrast, labeling a tumor as always cancerous is not accurate, as many tumors can be benign and pose little to no risk to health. Additionally, while some tumors can be fluid-filled, such as cysts, not all tumors have this characteristic. The description of a localized area of redness and swelling typically refers to inflammation or infection rather than a tumor, which is defined more by its abnormal tissue growth rather than these symptoms.