What is benign?

• A. Cancerous or capable of spreading.
• B. Non-cancerous; not harmful in effect.
• C. A condition of rapid heartbeat.
• D. A disease causing fever.

Answer: (B)

Benign describes something that is non-cancerous and not harmful in effect. In medical terms, a benign tumor grows slowly, stays localized, and does not invade surrounding tissues or metastasize to distant sites. This distinguishes it from malignant tumors, which are cancerous and capable of spreading. The other options describe cancerous conditions, a rapid heartbeat, or fever, none of which define benign.