What is the difference between a Lipoma and Liposarcoma?

There are many histologic variants of lipomas. Depending on the subtype, there may be a risk of cancerous spread. Best, Dr. Karamanoukian#Realself100 Surgeon

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  A lipoma is a very common tumor of adipose tissue (fat).  It is benign and causes no significant health concerns or issues.  A liposarcoma is a rare cancer of the same adipose tissue and requires a much more involved surgical excision and recovery.  Hope this helps.

Liposarcoma is very malignant. Lipomas are benign.H Karamanoukian MD FACS

Hi,This is a very important question.A Liposarcoma is a lipoma that is cancerous, can be somewhat painful and it grows very fast. A lipoma doesn't grow as fast and it will not be painful. During examination the doctor will be able to tell if it is a regular lipoma or a liposarcome.Good Luck!

Hi .A lipoma is a common benign fatty mass that can occur anywhere on the body. We recommend they be removed if they grow, become infected or become uncomfortable for the patient. A liposarcoma is a malignant fatty tumor (cancer) that is rare but deadly. It is commonly firmer, grows more rapidly and isgenerally solo (lipomas may be multiple). It may be impossible to differentiate the two without biopsy so all growing, painful or uncomfortable masses should be biopsied or removed. Thank you for your question.