Malignant
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222823905
2008-07-01T08:20:17Z
87.84.143.90
{{sources|date=May 2008}}
{{redirect|Malign|the noise musician|Rosemary Malign}}
{{wiktionary}}
'''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 (''[[Metastasis|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]]''
*''[[Otitis externa#Complications|Malignant otitis externa]]
*''[[Malaria#Symptoms|Malignant tertian malaria]]'' (Malaria caused specifically by ''[[Plasmodium falciparum]]'')
*''[[Neuroleptic malignant syndrome]]''
[[Category:Medical terms]]
[[Category:Oncology]]
[[da:Malign]]
[[de:Malignität]]
[[ja:悪性 (医学)]]
[[sl:Malignost]]
[[sr:Малигни]]
[[sv:Malign]]
[[pl:Nowotwór złośliwy]]