Growths are abnormal collections of tissue usually causing a swelling or a lump. Most growths are not cancer. Growths can occur anywhere in the female genital tract. They are discovered either by the patient or during a routine examination by a medical practitioner. If the person has regular routine examinations, it is more likely that it will be discovered during an examination and that the growth will still be small.

The terms benign and malignant are used to describe growths. Benign growths are slow growing and compress the surrounding tissue, never invading them. A malignant growth is fast growing and it infiltrates (growing into) the surrounding tissue. The usual treatment is surgical removal of the growth.