Malignant
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Malignant (from the Latin roots mal- = “bad” and -genus = “born”) is a medical term used to describe a severe and progressively worsening disease. The term is most familiar as a description of cancer. A malignant tumor may be contrasted 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 (metastasizing), while a benign tumor has none of those properties. Uses of “malignant” in oncology:
- Malignancy, malignant neoplasm, and malignant tumor are synonymous with cancer
- Malignant ascites
- Malignant transformation
Non-oncologic disorders referred to as “malignant”:
- Malignant hypertension
- Malignant hyperthermia
- Malignant otitis externa
- Malignant tertian malaria (Malaria caused specifically by Plasmodium falciparum)
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
References
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