A radial scar is a noncancerous (benign) growth in the breast made up of an increased number of glands and ducts arranged around a central area of scar-like tissue. Under the microscope, the glands appear to radiate outward from this center like the spokes of a wheel, which is where the name comes from. Despite …
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Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the salivary glands — the glands that make saliva. It is the most common salivary gland cancer in both adults and children. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma can also start in less common locations, including the lungs, the lining of the sinuses, and other glands of the head …
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Mucinous borderline tumor is a type of ovarian tumor that is not cancer, but is also not a completely benign growth. It belongs to a group of tumors called borderline tumors, which sit between clearly benign tumors and cancer. The behavior of a mucinous borderline tumor falls somewhere between a mucinous cystadenoma, which is a …
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What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a non-cancerous condition that occurs when tissue that is normally found in a part of the body called the endometrium starts growing outside the endometrium. What parts of the body are commonly affected by endometriosis? Endometriosis commonly involves the ovaries, fallopian tubes, outside surface of the uterus, posterior cul-de-sac (space …
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Actinic keratosis (AK) is a pre-cancerous skin condition caused by long-term damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, most often from the sun. It is made up of abnormal skin cells called keratinocytes, which are the flat cells that form most of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). In actinic keratosis, the abnormal cells are …
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Disordered proliferative endometrium is a non-cancerous change that affects the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the uterus. It develops when the endometrium is repeatedly exposed to estrogen without the balancing effect of progesterone. Under the microscope, the glands in the endometrium look irregular and disorganized, but the changes are not considered precancerous. If …
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Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the small bile ducts located within the liver. Bile ducts are the tubes that carry bile, a fluid that helps digest fats, from the liver to the intestine. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is distinct from hepatocellular carcinoma, which starts from the liver cells themselves, and from extrahepatic …
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Invasive melanoma is a type of skin cancer that starts from melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin. Melanocytes are normally found in the deepest part of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). When melanoma first develops, the abnormal melanocytes remain confined to the epidermis — a stage called melanoma in situ. …
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In pathology, poorly differentiated is a term used to describe how cancer cells look under a microscope. When cells are poorly differentiated, they appear very different from normal cells in the body. Normal cells are well-organized and have specific structures, but poorly differentiated cells lose these typical features, making it hard to tell where they …
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In pathology, the term pleomorphic is used to describe cells that appear very different from each other when viewed under a microscope. Pleomorphic cells vary significantly in size, shape, and colour. Although pathologists may describe the whole cell as pleomorphic, they usually focus on the appearance of the cell’s nucleus (the part containing genetic material …
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