Malignant
Malignancy (from Latin male 'badly' and -gnus 'born') is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse; the term is most familiar as a characterization of cancer.
A malignant tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous benign tumor in that a malignancy is not self-limited in its growth, is capable of invading into adjacent tissues, and may be capable of spreading to distant tissues.
A benign tumor has none of those properties, but may still be harmful to health. The term benign in more general medical use characterizes a condition or growth that is not cancerous, i.e. does not spread to other parts of the body or invade nearby tissue. Sometimes the term is used to suggest that a condition is not dangerous or serious, although this is not always the case.
Malignancy in cancers is characterized by anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis. Malignant tumors are also characterized by genome instability: cancers, as assessed by whole genome sequencing, frequently have between 10,000 and 100,000 mutations in their entire genomes. Cancers usually show tumour heterogeneity, containing multiple subclones. They also frequently have reduced expression of DNA repair enzymes due to epigenetic methylation of DNA repair genes or altered microRNAs that control DNA repair gene expression.
Tumours often manifest as a visible lump on the body. A mammogram or MRI scan can be used to determine or detect a suspected tumour, particularly if there is no visible lump. If an apparent tumour is detected, a biopsy—examination of a small sample of the tissue in a laboratory—is required to make a definitive diagnosis, and distinguish whether the tumour is malignant or benign. Malignant, and some benign, tumours usually require treatment, which is most effective at an early stage of tumour development.
Treatment may be by chemotherapy, surgery, ionising radiation, hyperthermia, and other means.
Similar Artists