Library · Neoplasm
Malignant Tumor
Make it clearer
A malignant tumor is a mass of cells that kept growing or stayed alive when they should not have. Picture a group that does not respect the boundary of the tissue where it began: the ability to cross that boundary is part of what malignant means.
Benign tumors do not invade nearby tissues or spread to other organs. Malignant tumors can do both, first growing into nearby structures and then traveling farther through the blood or lymph. A malignant tumor is another name for a cancerous tumor.
In brief
A malignant tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow or divide more than they should, or fail to die when they should. Malignant means cancerous.
Unlike a benign tumor, a malignant tumor can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. Those properties distinguish it from a benign tumor.
Sources (1)
- National Cancer InstituteDefinition of tumor
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated