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Malignant Neoplasm Essay

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What is a Malignant Neoplasm?

A malignant neoplasm is a tumor composed of poorly differentiated cells. "Neo" means new and "plasm" refers to cells. The word neoplasm refers to abnormal overgrowth of cells rather than healthy new cell growth. It is often used interchangeably with words such as tumor and cancer. It is a cancerous tumor that grows, proliferates, infiltrates and metastasizes to other parts of the body. It can spread to surrounding tissues, through lymph nodes or through the bloodstream. It often requires surgical removal. If it is left untreated, it can result in death.

Characteristics of Malignant Neoplasms
• Fixed mass
• Irregular shaped with no capsule
• Cells multiply very rapidly
• Almost always spreads to other sites …show more content…

The tumor becomes larger and may possibly invade surrounding tissues or spread to other parts of the body via the lymphatic system or the bloodstrem. If a vital organ such as the brain or liver or multiple organs are extensively damaged by the cancer, then death will occur. The treatments available for treating malignant cancer include surgery and chemotherapy. However, once metastasis has occurred, the prognosis is poor and treatment is very complicated.
Some of the main types of cancer are described below:
• Leukemia - This affects the tissues that make blood, such as the bone marrow. Large numbers of abnormal cells are produced in the bone marrow, which then spread to the bloodstream
• Carcinoma - This begins in the skin or tissues that line organs.
• Lymphoma – Originates in the immune system
• Sarcoma - This develops in blood vessels, muscle, cartilage, bone or other types of connective tissue
• Cancer of the central nervous system – Originates in the tissues of the brain and spinal

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