What is the name given to a lump of fat just under the skin that steadily grows but is painless

Well, the last time I was told it was lymphoma? What is lymphoma and what does it look like?

A lipoma is a common, benign tumor composed of fatty tissue. Lipomas are soft to the touch, sometimes moveable, and are generally painless. They grow very slowly, and have not been found to become cancerous (malignant liposarcoma, however, also arises from fatty tissue). Many lipomas are small but can enlarge to sizes greater than six centimeters. Lipoma is commonly found in adults from 40 to 60 years of age but can also be found in children. 1/1000 of the general population has a lipoma.

A rapidly growing lesion should be biopsied, although lipomas rarely become malignant. Treatment is not usually required, but bothersome lipomas may be excised or removed by liposuction.

Lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms arising in the reticuloendothelial and lymphatic systems. The major types are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

Hodgkin lymphoma is a localized or disseminated malignant proliferation of cells of the lymphoreticular system, primarily involving lymph node tissue, spleen, liver, and bone marrow. Symptoms include painless lymphadenopathy, sometimes with fever, night sweats, unintentional weight loss, pruritus, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly. Diagnosis is based on lymph node biopsy. Treatment is curative in about 75% of cases and consists of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of disorders involving malignant monoclonal proliferation of lymphoid cells in lymphoreticular sites, including lymph nodes, bone marrow, the spleen, the liver, and the GI tract. Presenting symptoms usually include peripheral lymphadenopathy. However, some forms present without adenopathy but with abnormal lymphocytes in circulation. Compared with Hodgkin lymphoma, there is a greater likelihood of disseminated disease at the time of diagnosis. Diagnosis is usually based on lymph node and/or bone marrow biopsy. Treatment includes radiation and/or chemotherapy, with stem cell transplantation usually reserved for salvage therapy after incomplete remission or relapse.