neoplasia
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GC: n

S: http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=499&sectionid=41568287 (last access: 22 September 2016); https://www.med.illinois.edu/m2/pathology/TAReviews/neoplasia.php (last access: 22 September 2016).

N: 1. 1868, from neo- (word-forming element meaning “new, recent,” used in a seemingly endless number of adjectives and nouns, mostly coined since c. 1880, from Greek neo-, comb. form of neos “new, young, youthful; fresh, strange; lately, just now,” from PIE root *newo-) + -plasia (word-forming element in biology and medicine denoting “formation, growth, development,” from Modern Latin -plasia, from Greek plasis “molding, formation,” from plassein “to mold”).
2. Formation of new tissue.
Formation of a neoplasm or neoplasms.
3. Neoplasia: uncontrolled new growth unresponsive to normal growth control mechanisms like contact inhibition. Neoplasia can occur in any cell, unlike hyperplasia which requires dividing cells. Best official definition: “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 stimuli that evoked the change.” This points out some of the key features of neoplasms: loss of growth control, irreversibility, and apparent disassociation with other tissue. In advanced metastatic cancer, the patient may appear cachexic, while tumor growth continues unabated.
4. Classification: Benign and malignant are terms that describe certain features of neoplasms. In general, benign tumors do not invade or metastasize, tend to grow more slowly, have fewer abnormal mitotic figures, and better resemble their tissue of origin than malignant ones. However, only the existence of metastases truly distinguishes malignant tumors from benign ones. Under a light microscope, it may not be possible to tell benign and malignant tumors apart.

S: 1. OED – http://goo.gl/QecUI8 (last access: 22 September 2016). 2. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/neoplasia (last access: 22 September 2016). 3 & 4. https://www.med.illinois.edu/m2/pathology/TAReviews/neoplasia.php (last access: 22 September 2016).

SYN: neoplastic growth, growth, tumor. (context)

S: DTMe (last access: 22 September 2016)

CR: cancer, cancerology, cancerous, carcinogenic, neoplastic, neoplastic (2), neoplasty, oncological, paraneoplastic syndrome, tumor.