If cells keep dividing when new cells are not needed, a mass of extra tissue forms. This mass of tissue, called a growth or tumor, can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer. They do not spread to other parts of the body and are seldom a threat to life. Benign tumors can usually be removed, but certain types may return.
Malignant tumors are cancer.
They can invade and destroy nearby healthy tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also break away from the tumor and enter the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. That is how cancer spreads to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis. Cancer of the larynx is also called laryngeal cancer.