Oncology (Greek oncos = tumor) is the study of tumors or neoplasms. The term neoplasm means a new growth, and the process is called neoplasia. It has been difficult to develop an accurate definition of neoplasm. A definition from Willis-British Oncologist-(1952) was globally used by phycisian : “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 with evoked the change”.

Tumor or neoplasm divided into benign and malignant. Cancer is the common term for all malignant neoplasms. It probably derives from the Latin for crab, cancer-presumably because a cancer “adheres to any part that it seizes upon in an obstinate manner like the crab”.

All tumors, benign and malignant, have two basic component, proliferating neoplastic cells that constitute their parenchyma, and supportive stroma made up of connective tissue and blood vessels. They can be distinguished by assessing their differentiation and anaplasia, rate of growth, local invasion, and metastasis. The doctors usually combine clinical criteria (based on sign and symptom) and morphological finding of the tumor to determine it is benign or malignant. In this case, collaboration of clinician and pathologist becomes very important.

References :

1. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. Pathologic basis of diseases. 7th ed Elsevier. 2005.
2. Willis RA. The spread of tumors in the human body. London, Butterworth & Co. 1952.