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Questions About Cancer? 1-800-4-CANCER

NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

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histologic grade    (HIS-tuh-LAH-jik grayd)

  A description of a tumor based on how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread. Low-grade cancer cells look more like normal cells and tend to grow and spread more slowly than high-grade cancer cells. Grading systems are different for each type of cancer. They are used to help plan treatment and determine prognosis. Also called tumor grade.

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