Colectomy specimen containing a malignant neoplasm, namely an invasive colorectal carcinoma (the crater-like, reddish, irregularly-shaped tumor). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision ( ICD -10) is a coding of diseases and signs symptoms abnormal findings The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The Diseases Database is a free Website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions Symptoms, and Medications. MedlinePlus, with the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, is a website network containing Health information from the world's largest medical Library Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH) is a huge Controlled vocabulary (or metadata system for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books Colectomy consists of the surgical Resection of any extent of the large intestine ( colon) Colorectal cancer, also called colon cancer or large bowel cancer, includes Cancerous growths in the colon, Rectum and

Diagram illustrating benign neoplasms, namely fibroids of the uterus. Uterine fibroids (singular Uterine Fibroma) ( leiomyomata, singular leiomyoma) are Benign Tumors which grow from the muscle layers of The uterus (from the Latin word for womb) is the major Female reproductive organ of most Mammals including Humans One end the

Neoplasia (new growth in Greek) is the abnormal proliferation of cells, resulting in a neoplasm. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called ^{[1] [2]} Neoplasia is the scientific term for the group of diseases commonly called tumor or cancer. See also Cancer A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (termed neoplastic Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled ^[3]

Because neoplasia includes very different diseases, it is difficult to find a definition that describe them all. The definition of the British oncologist R. A. Willis is widely cited:

A neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue, the growth of which exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of the normal tissues, and persists in the same excessive manner after cessation of the stimulus which evoked the change.

– ^[4]

Types

A neoplasm can be benign, potentially malignant (pre-cancer) or malignant (cancer). A benign tumor is a Tumor that lacks all three of the Malignant properties of a Cancer. Carcinoma in situ (CIS is an early form of Carcinoma defined by the absence of invasion of surrounding tissues Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled ^[5]

• Benign neoplasms include uterine fibroids and melanocytic nevi (skin moles). Uterine fibroids (singular Uterine Fibroma) ( leiomyomata, singular leiomyoma) are Benign Tumors which grow from the muscle layers of Nevus (or naevus, plural nevi, from nævus, Latin for birthmark is the medical term for sharply-circumscribed and Chronic lesions of the They do not transform into cancer. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled
• Potentially malignant neoplasms include carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ (CIS is an early form of Carcinoma defined by the absence of invasion of surrounding tissues They do not invade and destroy but, given enough time, will transform into a cancer. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled
• Malignant neoplasms are commonly called cancer. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled They invade and destroy the surrounding tissue, may form metastases and eventually kill the host. Metastasis ( Greek: displacement μετά=next + στάσις=placement, plural metastases) sometimes abbreviated mets,

Difficulty of definition

A precise and all-encompassing definition of neoplasm has proven elusive. A neoplasm has been defined as an uncontrolled and progressive growth, although this definition is criticized because some neoplasms, such as nevi, are not progressive. A progressive illness is an illness that gradually progresses and changes mode generally to the worse ^[6]

Some sources consider a neoplasm to be synonymous with a tumor or unusual mass of tissue. See also Cancer A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (termed neoplastic ^[3] This is criticized because many neoplasms form no mass, including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, anal intraepithelial neoplasia, and leukemia. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia ( CIN) also known as cervical dysplasia is the potentially Premalignant transformation and abnormal growth ( Dysplasia Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood

Biological properties of neoplastic cells

The structure of a neoplasm is less organized than that of the surrounding tissue. ^[7]

Clonality

Neoplastic tumors often contain more than one type of cell, but their initiation and continued growth is usually dependent on a single population of neoplastic cells. These cells are usually presumed to be clonal - that is, they are descended from a single progenitor cell. A clone is a group of identical cells that share a common ancestry, meaning are derived from the same mother cell

The neoplastic cells typically bear common genetic or epigenetic abnormalities, an evidence of clonality. In biology mutations are changes to the Nucleotide sequence of the Genetic material of an organism In Biology, the term epigenetics refers to changes in Gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence For some types of neoplasm, e. g. lymphoma and leukemia, the demonstration of clonality is now considered to be necessary (though not sufficient) to define a cellular proliferation as neoplastic. Lymphoma a type of Neoplasm that originates in Lymphocytes (a type of White blood cell in the vertebrate Immune system) Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood ^[8]

See also

• Cancer
• Tumor
• Benign tumor
• Dysplasia
• Hyperplasia
• Oncology
• Oncogene

References