Can Lipoma Turn into Cancer?

It is not that a lipoma becomes a liposarcoma but that without excising them and examining them under a microscope, you can't tell which is which. 99+% are benign lipomas but it would be wise to have them removed formally, not with liposuction since liposuction destroys the architecture and prevents their identification as benign or not.

Lipomas are the most common benign tumor; they are composed of adipose tissue. Sometimes these soft, usually mobile masses can grow in size and become an aesthetic or functional concern. Malignant transformation of lipomas into liposarcomas it's extremely rare ( and controversial). Generally, I recommend excision to allow for pathologic evaluation (which is the only way to make a definitive diagnosis) and to alleviate compressive symptoms... more

This is somewhat of a controversial area but most soft tissue pathologists feel that a long-standing lipoma does have the capability to transform itself into a liposarcoma. This was first described by Wolgemuth in 1910 and there have been a number of papers since that time describing this phenomenon. Dr. Steven Hadju, in Pathology of Soft Tissue Tumors, mentions ten cases of his that did this. Those who are skeptical of this phenomenon, point out that there may have been sampling error... more

Greetings, A true lipoma is not cancerous and will not turn into a cancerous tumor. Determining if a tumor is a lipoma though requires making a tissue diagnosis -- ie removing the tumor and examining it under a microscope. There is a rather unusual tumor called a liposarcoma which is a cancer. It is impossible to tell the difference between a liposarcoma and a lipoma based solely on physical examination or any imaging study (CT scan or MRI). If there is any doubt, take some kind of biopsy.... more

By definition, a Lipoma is a benign growth which does NOT turn into a cancerous tumor. However, even though we tend to call EVERY fatty tumor a "Lipoma", in reality we are guessing and playing the 99.9% odds that the tumor IS a benign tumor (because only a small number are not). To know for sure the identity of ANY mass or lesion, it needs to be presented to a Pathologist to look at under the microscope. Only a pathologist can officially determine the identity of any mass. The... more