What is the medical term for a condition that involves excessive tissue growth?

The medical term for a condition that involves excessive tissue growth is hyperplasia. Hyperplasia refers specifically to an increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ, which can lead to an enlargement of that area. This type of growth can occur as a normal physiological response, such as in the case of hyperplasia of the endometrial lining during the menstrual cycle, or it might occur due to pathological conditions, such as in certain types of hyperplastic lesions.

In contrast, hypertrophy refers to an increase in the size of existing cells, rather than an increase in cell number. This is commonly seen in muscle tissue when responding to exercise. Atrophy describes the decrease in cell size or number, leading to a reduction in the size of the tissue or organ, often due to disuse or lack of blood supply. The term "cancerous" is not a specific medical term for tissue growth but rather indicates the presence of malignancy, which can sometimes involve both hyperplasia and hypertrophy, but does not define a generalized state of excessive tissue growth.