neoplasm
Meaning of neoplasm: A neoplasm is an abnormal tissue growth from uncontrolled cell division, encompassing both benign growths and malignant cancers rather than cancer alone.
Definition of neoplasm
A neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells divide more than they should or fail to die at the normal rate, producing a growth that serves no useful function in the body. The term applies broadly, describing the abnormal growth process itself rather than any single disease.
Neoplasms are classified as benign or malignant. A benign neoplasm grows locally, typically remains contained within a surrounding capsule, and does not spread to other parts of the body, while a malignant neoplasm, commonly called cancer, can invade nearby tissue and spread to distant sites through the blood or lymphatic system.
Because the word neoplasm covers this whole spectrum of abnormal growth, further evaluation, such as biopsy and imaging, is generally needed to determine whether a particular neoplasm is benign or malignant and to guide what happens next.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Imaging revealed a neoplasm in the pancreas that required further evaluation to determine whether it was benign or malignant.
Good to know
The word neoplasm describes the abnormal growth itself and says nothing about whether that growth is benign or malignant, a distinction that requires further evaluation such as biopsy.
Word origin
Where “neoplasm” comes from
Formed from Greek neo-, meaning new, and plasma, from plassein, meaning to form or mold, describing newly formed tissue.