A tumour is a lump inside the body made of cells that have grown too much and too fast. Normal cells in your body grow, do their job, and stop when the body says stop. Tumour cells miss that signal and keep making more of themselves, so a mass builds up where there should not be one.

A tumour腫瘤（tumour） is a lump inside the body made of cells that have grown too much and too fast是身體裡的一個腫塊，由長得太多、太快的細胞組成。 Normal cells in your body grow, do their job你身體裡正常的細胞會生長、做自己的工作， and stop when the body says stop然後在身體發出『停止』訊號時停下來。 Tumour cells miss that signal而腫瘤細胞會錯過那個訊號， and keep making more of themselves一直不斷地複製自己， so a mass builds up where there should not be one於是在不該有東西的地方，堆出了一團東西。

It can be in almost any part of the body — the brain, the stomach, the skin, a bone. A tumour can be as small as a pea or big enough to press on other organs, which is often what makes a person notice it and go to the doctor.

It can be in almost any part of the body它幾乎可以出現在身體的任何部位—— the brain, the stomach, the skin, a bone腦、胃、皮膚、骨頭都有可能。 A tumour can be as small as a pea or big enough to press on other organs腫瘤可以小得像一顆豌豆，也可以大到壓迫到其他器官， which is often what makes a person notice it and go to the doctor而這通常就是讓一個人注意到它、進而去看醫生的原因。

Here is the part students usually do not know: a tumour is not the same thing as cancer. Doctors talk about benign tumours and malignant tumours. A benign tumour grows in one place, does not spread to other parts of the body, and is often not dangerous — many people carry one for years. A malignant tumour is the cancerous kind: it can push into the tissue around it and travel to other places in the body. So when a doctor says "we found a tumour", that is not yet a cancer diagnosis; the next step is tests to find out which kind it is.

Here is the part students usually do not know這裡是學生通常不知道的部分： a tumour is not the same thing as cancer腫瘤跟癌症不是同一件事。 Doctors talk about benign tumours and malignant tumours醫生會談到 benign tumour良性腫瘤和 malignant tumour惡性腫瘤。 A benign tumour grows in one place, does not spread to other parts of the body, and is often not dangerous良性腫瘤只長在一個地方，不會擴散到身體其他部位，通常也不危險—— many people carry one for years很多人身上帶著一顆良性腫瘤好幾年都沒事。 A malignant tumour is the cancerous kind惡性腫瘤才是癌症那種： it can push into the tissue around it and travel to other places in the body它會侵入周圍的組織，還會轉移到身體其他地方。 So when a doctor says "we found a tumour", that is not yet a cancer diagnosis所以當醫生說『我們發現一顆腫瘤』時，那還不算是癌症的診斷； the next step is tests to find out which kind it is下一步是做檢查，找出它是哪一種。

This word is medical, and it stays medical — you meet it at the hospital, in news about someone's illness, in health articles. In everyday talk people are more likely to say lump, or say cancer directly, because tumour sounds clinical and frightening.

This word is medical, and it stays medical這個字是醫學用語，而且一直都是醫學用語—— you meet it at the hospital, in news about someone's illness, in health articles你會在醫院、在關於某人生病的新聞、在健康文章裡遇到它。 In everyday talk people are more likely to say lump, or say cancer directly日常聊天時，大家比較會說 lump腫塊，或是直接說 cancer癌症， because tumour sounds clinical and frightening因為 tumour 這個字聽起來很臨床、也讓人害怕。

Note the spelling: British English writes tumour, American English writes tumor. Both are correct in their own place, and Taiwanese textbooks usually follow the American spelling. The adjective is tumorous, but it is rare; people say "a tumour" far more often than they describe anything as tumorous.

Note the spelling注意拼法： British English writes tumour, American English writes tumor英式英文寫 tumour，美式英文寫 tumor。 Both are correct in their own place兩種在各自的地方都是對的， and Taiwanese textbooks usually follow the American spelling台灣課本通常是跟美式拼法。 The adjective is tumorous, but it is rare形容詞是 tumorous，但很少見； people say "a tumour" far more often than they describe anything as tumorous比起用 tumorous 來形容東西，大家更常直接說『a tumour』。