Malignant 549900 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]]