Which term refers to an abnormal growth of cells that can be benign or malignant?

The term that refers to an abnormal growth of cells, which can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), is neoplasm. This term encompasses a wide variety of growths, including tumors that may form in various tissues throughout the body. Neoplasms arise when the normal regulatory mechanisms of cell growth fail, leading to uncontrolled cell division.

Cysts, while they can involve abnormal growths of tissue, specifically refer to closed sacs filled with fluid or semi-solid material and are typically not classified in the same category as neoplasms, which focus more on the proliferation of cells. Carcinoma is a specific type of malignant neoplasm that originates in epithelial tissue, but not all neoplasms are carcinomas. Hyperplasia refers to an increase in the number of normal cells in a tissue or organ, often as a response to a stimulus, but it doesn’t involve the uncontrolled growth characteristic of neoplasms. Therefore, neoplasm is the most encompassing term for abnormal cell growth that includes both benign and malignant forms.