Final answer:
Benign tumors are typically non-cancerous growths that may still necessitate removal if they cause discomfort or have the potential to become malignant. Surgery for benign tumors may include biopsies to diagnose serious conditions or to prevent future complications. Imaging methods aid in identifying tumors for potential surgical removal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns why a patient may need to have a benign tumor removed. Although benign tumors are not life-threatening and do not invade surrounding tissues aggressively like malignant ones, they may still cause discomfort or have the potential to become cancerous. Removal of benign tumors, such as breast and uterine fibroids, moles, or an enlarged lymph node can be for diagnostic purposes, like a biopsy, or to alleviate symptoms caused by the tumor pressing on adjacent structures.
Surgical intervention, in the form of a surgery, is often employed when the benign tumor is causing discomfort, or if there's a suspicion that it may pose a risk in the future. Situations such as an enlarged lymph node may necessitate a biopsy to rule out conditions like lymphoma, and this involves surgically extracting tissue for laboratory analysis. Moreover, imaging techniques like mammograms aid in screening for breast cancer, and while they can't definitively diagnose a malignancy, they highlight areas that require further investigation, possibly culminating in surgical removal to prevent a potentially cancerous progression.
Moreover, certain benign tumors might present a slight chance of turning into a malignant form. Therefore, to preemptively avert any potential risk of cancer, removal is sometimes suggested. In any case, the decision to remove a benign tumor takes into account numerous factors including the patient's symptoms, tumor size, growth rate, and potential for malignancy.