nontumoral

Nontumoral is a medical term used to describe tissues, lesions, or cellular components that are not neoplastic (not part of a tumor). In modern pathology, a tumor generally denotes a neoplasm—an abnormal proliferation of cells with potential for growth and, in some cases, invasion or spread. Non-neoplastic, or nontumoral, lesions are those that do not arise from clonal neoplastic processes.

Nontumoral tissue can arise from a variety of non-neoplastic processes, including inflammation, infection, degeneration, fibrosis, vascular abnormalities, or reactive changes. Examples include scar tissue after injury, granulomatous inflammation, abscesses, cysts without neoplastic lining, infarcts, edema, and necrotic tissue not organized as a tumor. In biopsy or surgical specimens, pathologists may describe certain areas as nontumoral to distinguish them from tumor tissue.

The term is descriptive rather than a diagnostic label. It does not indicate benignity or lack of clinical significance; a nontumoral lesion can be inflammatory, infectious, or otherwise clinically important and may mimic cancer on imaging. Proper diagnosis typically requires histopathological evaluation and correlation with clinical findings.

Terminology usage varies, and some sources prefer non-neoplastic or non-tumorous to emphasize the absence of neoplastic growth. In practice, nontumoral helps clinicians communicate that a given lesion is not a neoplasm, guiding appropriate testing and management.