Neoplastic Process
metaplastic carcinoma
met·a·plas·tic car·ci·no·ma [ meh-tuh-plas-tik kar-sih-noh-muh ]
Definitions related to metaplastic carcinoma:
-
A general term used to describe cancer that begins in cells that have changed into another cell type (for example, a squamous cell of the esophagus changing to resemble a cell of the stomach). In some cases, metaplastic changes alone may mean there is an increased chance of cancer developing at the site.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
-
A general term used to describe carcinomas arising from epithelial cells that have been transformed into another cells type (metaplastic epithelial cells). A representative example is the adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett esophagus. This term is also used to describe carcinomas in which the malignant epithelial cells show differentiation towards another cell type. A representative example of the latter is the metaplastic breast carcinoma in which the malignant glandular cells show squamous, spindle cell, or chondroid/osseous differentiation.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> M
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.