cancerous

Cancerous is an adjective used to describe tissue, cells, or conditions associated with cancer. In medical contexts it denotes something that originates from or is characteristic of malignant neoplasms, cancers that can invade surrounding tissue and spread (metastasize) to distant sites.

Cancerous is distinct from benign, which refers to noninvasive tumors that do not metastasize. In pathology, terms such as malignant, invasive, poorly differentiated, or anaplastic are used to describe cancerous tissue; in formal scientific writing, authors may prefer these terms over the more colloquial "cancerous."

Typical features of cancerous cells include uncontrolled growth, evasion of cell death, genomic instability, and altered cell signaling. Diagnosis usually requires a biopsy with histopathology, and is supplemented by imaging and molecular tests to determine cancer type, grade, and stage.

Treatment is guided by type and stage and may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy, often in combination. The term originated from the Latin "cancer" and Greek "karkinos" (crab); in some contexts "malignant" is preferred for precision. See also cancer, malignant neoplasm, metastasis, oncology.