Definition
The development of primary tumors is often preceded, both in humans and experimental animals (mainly rodents), by the appearance of lesions referred to as preneoplastic. These consist of genetically and phenotypically altered cells exhibiting a higher risk of malignant evolution than normal cells. These lesions generally lack one of the principal characteristics of neoplastic lesions: the capacity to grow autonomously after cessation of the stimuli that induced the lesion. Nonetheless, the distinction between preneoplastic lesions and benign neoplasias is sometimes difficult, and the terms “preneoplastic” and “premalignant” are often considered synonyms. However, benign tumors, constituted by autonomously growing cells, cannot be strictly classified as preneoplastic but only as premalignant lesions, whereas, premalignant lesions can include both preneoplastic lesions and benign tumors.
Characteristics
Tumorigenesis is considered a multistep process characterized, both in...
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Feo, F. (2011). Preneoplastic Lesions. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4724
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_4724
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