Malignant meaning - #6742
I recently came across the word malignant, and I realized I don’t fully understand its medical meaning. What exactly does malignant mean, and how does it relate to diseases like cancer? From what I read, malignant refers to something that is harmful, aggressive, and can spread to other parts of the body. But does every malignant tumor automatically mean cancer, or are there other malignant conditions? How do doctors determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant? I also wonder about the difference between malignant and metastatic. If a malignant tumor spreads, does that mean it becomes metastatic cancer, or are they two separate stages of disease progression? Another thing I learned is that not all malignant tumors grow at the same speed. Some spread quickly, while others remain slow-growing for years. How do doctors decide the best treatment—surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapy—based on how aggressive the malignant cells are? For those who have dealt with malignant conditions, how was it diagnosed, and what treatment options were most effective?
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