[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [General pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) › [Neoplasia](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/#a-neoplasia) › Naming tumours: -oma, carcinoma, sarcoma, and the misleading names

[General pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) · [Neoplasia](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/#a-neoplasia)

# Naming tumours: -oma, carcinoma, sarcoma, and the misleading names

- Topic

A tumour's name tells you its tissue of origin and whether it is benign or malignant, but a few famous names break the rules.

Updated 2026-11-01

## Key points

- Benign: tissue + -oma (adenoma, papilloma, lipoma, chondroma, leiomyoma).
- Malignant epithelial = carcinoma (adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma); malignant mesenchymal = sarcoma.
- Malignant despite -oma: melanoma, lymphoma, mesothelioma, seminoma, hepatoma (hepatocellular carcinoma).
- Hamartoma = disorganised native tissue; choristoma = normal tissue in the wrong place; neither is a true neoplasm in the classic sense.
- Teratoma: germ-cell tumour with tissues from more than one germ layer; the mature cystic ovarian teratoma is benign.
- Blastomas (neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, nephroblastoma) are malignant embryonal tumours of childhood.

## What it is

Tumours are named after the cell they resemble and their behaviour. Benign tumours usually take the suffix -oma (adenoma, lipoma, leiomyoma); malignant epithelial tumours are carcinomas and malignant mesenchymal tumours are sarcomas. Knowing the exceptions (melanoma, lymphoma, mesothelioma, seminoma are all malignant) avoids a classic exam trap and a real communication error.

## Key facts

- Every tumour has two parts: the neoplastic cells (parenchyma), which give the name and behaviour, and a supporting stroma of connective tissue and vessels.
- A dense, fibrous stroma (desmoplasia) makes some carcinomas stony hard, for example scirrhous breast and pancreatic cancers.
- Polyp describes a shape (a mass that projects above a mucosal surface), not a diagnosis; it may be an adenoma, a hyperplastic polyp or a carcinoma.
- Mixed tumours come from one clone that differentiates in two directions: the pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary gland is the classic example.
- Carcinomas are by far the most common malignant tumours in adults; leukaemias, lymphomas and myeloma are the haematolymphoid cancers.

## Tissue of origin and the usual names

| Tissue | Benign | Malignant |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Glandular epithelium | Adenoma (colon, thyroid, liver) | Adenocarcinoma |
| Surface (squamous) epithelium | Squamous papilloma | Squamous cell carcinoma |
| Fat | Lipoma | Liposarcoma |
| [Smooth muscle](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/uterine-fibroids/) | Leiomyoma (uterine fibroid) | Leiomyosarcoma |
| Skeletal muscle | Rhabdomyoma | Rhabdomyosarcoma |
| [Bone / cartilage](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/osteosarcoma/) | Osteoma / chondroma | Osteosarcoma / chondrosarcoma |
| [Blood vessels](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/infantile-hemangioma/) | Haemangioma | Angiosarcoma |
| [Melanocytes](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/melanoma/) | Melanocytic naevus | Melanoma |
| [Lymphoid cells](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/) | No benign counterpart | Lymphoma, lymphoid leukaemia |
| [Germ cells](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/testicular-cancer/) | Mature teratoma | Seminoma, embryonal carcinoma, immature teratoma |

## Clinical notes

- Telling a patient that a ‘-oma’ is harmless can be wrong: always check whether the name is one of the malignant exceptions.
- A carcinoma of unknown primary is named only by its pattern (adenocarcinoma, squamous) until immunohistochemistry suggests the source.

## Memory aid

Read the suffix like a passport: -oma is a tourist, carcinoma and sarcoma are invaders, and MeLMS (melanoma, lymphoma, mesothelioma, seminoma) are invaders travelling with a tourist's passport.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What is the malignant tumour of smooth muscle called?

Leiomyosarcoma; its benign counterpart is the leiomyoma (uterine fibroid).

## Which four malignant tumours have names ending in -oma?

Melanoma, lymphoma, mesothelioma and seminoma (also hepatoma, an old name for hepatocellular carcinoma).

## How does a hamartoma differ from a choristoma?

A hamartoma is a disorganised mass of tissue native to the site; a choristoma is normal tissue in an abnormal place, such as pancreatic tissue in the stomach wall.

## What is a mixed tumour of the salivary gland?

A pleomorphic adenoma: one neoplastic clone that forms both epithelial and myxoid or cartilage-like stromal elements.

[Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/general-pathology/naming-tumours-oma-carcinoma-sarcoma-and-the-misleading-names/)

## Related

- [Benign vs malignant tumours: the comparison table](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/benign-vs-malignant-tumours-the-comparison-table/)
- [Differentiation and anaplasia: how a tumour cell looks under the microscope](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/differentiation-and-anaplasia-how-a-tumour-cell-looks-under-the-microscope/)
- [Tumours of infancy and childhood](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/tumours-of-infancy-and-childhood/)
- [Grading and staging: what TNM means](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/grading-and-staging-what-tnm-means/)

## Related conditions

- [Soft tissue sarcomas (liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/soft-tissue-sarcomas/)
- [Melanoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/melanoma/)
- [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/)
- [Testicular cancer](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/testicular-cancer/)
- [Hodgkin lymphoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hodgkin-lymphoma/)
- [Malignant pleural mesothelioma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/malignant-pleural-mesothelioma/)
- [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/hepatocellular-carcinoma/)
- [Ovarian germ-cell and sex cord–stromal tumours](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/ovarian-germ-cell-and-sex-cord-stromal-tumours/)
- [Parotid gland tumours](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/parotid-gland-tumours/)
- [Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/wilms-tumour/)
- [Neuroblastoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/neuroblastoma/)
- [Retinoblastoma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/retinoblastoma/)
- [Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/uterine-fibroids/)

## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia

- [Epithelium: classification (the table to know)](https://durgical.com/en/histology/epithelium-classification/)
- [Connective tissue proper: cells and fibres](https://durgical.com/en/histology/connective-tissue-proper-cells-and-fibres/)
- [Germ-layer derivatives: ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm](https://durgical.com/en/embryology/germ-layer-derivatives-ectoderm-mesoderm-endoderm/)

[← All of general pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/)

Educational content on the mechanisms of disease; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: [Tumor List | SEER Training](https://training.seer.cancer.gov/disease/categories/tumors.html) (SEER Training Modules, National Cancer Institute, 2026); [Cancer Classification](https://training.seer.cancer.gov/disease/categories/classification.html) (SEER Training Modules, National Cancer Institute, 2026); [What Is Cancer?](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer) (National Cancer Institute (NCI), 2026).

## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake

Representative model, for educational purposes only.

---
Source: https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/naming-tumours-oma-carcinoma-sarcoma-and-the-misleading-names/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/naming-tumours-oma-carcinoma-sarcoma-and-the-misleading-names/