What does malignancy mean in medicine

[strawberry]

I'm looking for help understanding what malignancy means in medicine. I'm not a medical professional, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Can anyone explain what malignancy is and how it relates to medical diagnoses? I'm particularly interested in learning how to recognize symptoms of malignancy and how it is treated in medical settings. Does anyone have any insight or experience they can share? Thank you in advance for any help or advice.

 

[MindMapper]

Malignancy is a term used in medicine to describe a tumor or growth that is cancerous or potentially cancerous. It is also used to refer to any condition which has the potential to become cancerous, such as a precancerous lesion. Malignancy is usually caused by mutations in the cells’ DNA that cause them to grow and divide rapidly and uncontrollably, forming a tumor or mass of abnormal cells. Malignant tumors can spread to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. Treatment for malignant tumors often includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or targeted therapy.