| Precancerous condition | |
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| Classification and external resources | |
Micrograph of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, a precancerous condition of the uterine cervix. Pap stain. |
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| MeSH | D011230 |
A precancerous condition (or premalignant condition) is a disease, syndrome, or finding that, if left untreated, may lead to cancer. It is a generalized state associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer.
Premalignant lesion is a morphologically altered tissue in which cancer is more likely to occur than its apparently normal counterpart.
Examples of pre-malignant conditions include actinic keratosis,[1] Barrett's esophagus, atrophic gastritis, and cervical dysplasia.
The term was coined in 1875 by Romanian physician Victor Babeş.
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