Low-grade neoplasms are collections of precancerous cells with a low chance of developing into cancer. They have specific characteristics that pathologists can identify, and treatment options depend on the location of the malignancy. Surgery is the most common treatment, but for areas where surgery is dangerous, regular monitoring is necessary.
A low-grade neoplasm is a collection of precancerous cells that have a very low chance of getting cancer. This condition is a form of dysplasia. A low-grade malignancy has many identifying characteristics when a pathologist looks at it under a microscope. While the cancer may never develop, removal of the affected cells and possibly surrounding tissue is often the best treatment option. Depending on the location of the malignancy, treatment may be impractical unless cancer develops.
Dysplasia, or abnormal cell maturation, can be high- or low-grade. A low-grade neoplasm is a flat set of slightly abnormal cells that has not penetrated any of the surrounding membranes of its area of origin. Even a high-grade malignancy has not moved beyond its area of origin, but it is different in that its cells look more like cancerous cells than normal, healthy cells. Therefore, a high-grade carcinoma is called carcinoma in situ, a collection of cancer-like cells that have not yet begun dividing rapidly.
A low-grade malignancy has certain characteristics that make it obvious to pathologists who do tests such as a biopsy or Pap smear. The harvested cells, viewed under a microscope, appear abnormal in four distinct ways. Cells are different in size and shape than the surrounding cells. Also, the color of the cells is different from that of healthy cells. Finally, the replicative cycle of this type of neoplasm is altered.
Once a doctor has diagnosed low-grade cancer, they can discuss treatment options with the patient. If the malignancy is present on the skin, the most common treatment is simple surgery to remove the cells. Although tumors rarely become cancer, surgical removal leaves nothing to chance. Treatment options become more complicated when a malignancy develops within the body.
If a biopsy of a woman’s breast tissue reveals malignancy, a woman may decide to have a mastectomy to prevent breast cancer from developing. While not recommended for all women, it is an option for women whose family history has many examples of breast cancer. Many women who have preventive mastectomies later undergo reconstructive surgery to restore their breasts to their previous appearance.
If low-grade cancer develops in an area of the body where surgery is dangerous for the patient, a doctor may advise the patient to take a wait-and-see approach to treatment. For example, removing a tumor inside the brain or on the brainstem is extremely dangerous. Regular monitoring of the cancer using MRI or CT scans allows doctors to see if the cancer is undergoing a malignant transformation. If life-threatening cancer were to develop, a dangerous treatment option must be taken.
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