Benign tumours and symptoms explained as Fearne Cotton and Davina McCall issue warning

Beloved broadcasters Fearne Cotton and Davina McCall have both opened up about their shock benign tumour diagnoses - with Davina sending the Happy Place podcaster "a huge gentle cuddle".

TV presenter Fearne revealed on Tuesday that she will now be undergoing surgery to have two benign tumours removed from her jaw - shortly after her "bloody good mate" Davina underwent a six-hour operation to remove a benign brain tumour. Fans have offered their best wishes to the duo, who have been showing each other support throughout their respective ordeals.

But what exactly is a benign tumour, and what signs do we need to be looking out for? The Mirror hears from an expert...

According to the Cleveland Clinic , unlike malignant tumours, cells within benign tumours don't spread to other parts of the body and are, therefore, not cancerous. They are also slow-growing and have distinct 'even borders'. Benign tumours can crop up anywhere in your body, with the most common type being lipomas—lumps of fatty tissue found beneath a patient's skin. Fibroids in the uterus are another common example.

Although a benign tumour may not pose immediate threats to a person's health, a doctor may advise surgery to remove large benign tumours that press on tissue or organs. Patients may also need to check in with their doctor regularly to keep an eye out for any potential changes.

Dr Alasdair Scott, science director at Selph, told the Mirror: "A 'tumour' is simply a growth. Tumours can be benign or malignant. Benign tumours (such as colloid cysts) will not spread, whereas malignant tumours have the ability to spread to other parts of the body. A 'cancer' is another term for a malignant tumour.

"The commonest benign tumours are related to the skin and are familiar to many of us. Things like moles, sebaceous cysts, lipomas and dermatofibromas. These are simple skin lumps. A sebaceous cyst is a small lump in the skin, often the back or scalp.

"They affect about 1 in 5 people. They can become infected. They're easily identified by the fact that they’re in the skin (i.e. the skin doesn’t move over them) and they have a little 'punctum' at the top. Lipomas are lumps of fat sitting underneath the skin so the skin moves over them. They’re painless, soft, squidgy lumps. They affect about one in 50 people."

He continued: “Dermatofibromas are small brown lumps in the skin that often occur at the site of minor trauma - such as a shaving nick when shaving the legs. They’re raised, firm and painless. These are very common lumps, but many people don’t report them, so we don’t know exactly how common. Women get them more commonly than men.

"Benign non-skin lumps are also very common. For example, at least one in five of us have an adenoma ('polyp') in the bowel, about 1 in 10 of us will develop an adenoma in our pituitary gland, and about one in 10 women will have a benign breast tumour called a fibroadenoma. Often, these cause no symptoms and are picked up incidentally when looking for something else. Doctors even have a name for these incidental tumours - 'incidentalomas'."

According to an article in the JAMA Oncology Journal, certain types of benign tumours, including colon polyps, can turn into malignant tumours, so careful monitoring and surgical removal may be required. Those with benign tumours may not notice any symptoms, which can vary depending on where in their body the tumour is located.

However, there are a few signs to look out for, including skin changes, headaches, difficulty breathing and loss of appetite. Symptoms of a benign brain tumour, which Davina recently underwent a six-hour operation to remove, may include nausea, drowsiness, vision issues, behavioural changes, and problems with balance and speech.

In an emotional vid update shared via Instagram, fitness buff Davina - who has released a number of work-outDVDs plus an exercise equipment range - confessed she'd been 'blindsided' by the tumour, given how healthy she believed herself to be. Davina shared: "I was offered a health scan which I thought i was going to ace but it turned out I had benign brain tumour, which is very rare, three in a million."

Although she was thankfully found to be at no immediate risk, Davina revealed that doctors had feared the tumour could grow and cause complications and so decided to operate. Clarifying that the tumour is 'very rare', Davina continued: "I slightly put my head in the sand for a while, I saw a few neurosurgeons, had quite a lot of opinions and realised I needed to take it out. It's quite big, it's 14mm wide, and it needs to come out because if it grows, it would be bad. I'm having it removed. Say a prayer for me. I'm in good spirits."

Taking to TikTok after Davina shared her diagnosis, neurosurgeon Dr Zada from the Keck School of Medicine of USC highlighted some early warning signs of brain tumours. He told followers: "We [doctors] look for red flags. What do red flags mean? Well, if you have headaches that are severe or getting worse and long-standing, or other things like vision loss, seizures, any movement deficits, nausea or vomiting, these might be things that are associated with brain tumours." Dr Zada urged: "Don't wait. If you're concerned that it's not just a normal headache, it's time to get checked out."

Meanwhile, as explained by Dr Bradley A. Schiff of The University Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in an article penned for MSD Manual, benign tumours found in the jaw can cause "swelling, pain, tenderness, and unexplained tooth mobility." These may be picked up during routine dental appointments.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, Fearne, who will carry on her Happy Place podcast as usual, told her followers: "I’ve got a benign tumour just in my jaw here, below my ear, another little tiny one above it. I’m very grateful they’re benign but they do need to come out because they’re on a nerve.

"So I’m gonna have that surgery, and then I’m gonna be resting to get better before Christmas. Not very good at resting, so wondering how that’s gonna go. But I’m feeling okay about it. I’m going into the operation feeling good and well."

She continued with the following warning: "If you feel a lump or bump or feel like something is a bit off, always go get it checked. I'm so glad I did as the longer you leave these things the more complicated things become. It's obviously so weird that only a couple of months ago Davina told me about her tumour and then weeks later I was calling her having discovered mine. I'm not only lucky she's a bloody good mate but also a beacon of light and positivity when it comes to this stuff. Sending you all loads of love and I'll see you soon."

Davina, who is still recovering from her gruelling surgery, was one of the first to send her love, commenting: "Sending you so much healing and love can’t wait to give you a huge gentle cuddle." In the caption of her announcement, Fearne revealed she had already spoken to Davina following the discovery, writing: "It's obviously so weird that only a couple of months ago Davina told me about her tumour and then weeks later I was calling her having discovered mine. I'm not only lucky she's a bloody good mate but also a beacon of light and positivity when it comes to this stuff."

For more information or support about cancer, you can contact Macmillan Cancer Support or you can call 020 7940 1760 for advice.

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