What does "benign" and "malignant" mean?

What does "benign" and "malignant" mean?

Richard E. Gould (Hematologist/Oncologist, Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center) gives expert video advice on: What are the most common types of breast cancer?; What causes breast cancer?; Is breast cancer fatal? and more...

A benign condition is a non-cancerous condition. It will not turn into cancer, it is not life-threatening. A benign condition can grow locally, but it is not going to spread anywhere else in your body. A malignant condition is a cancer and as a cancer a malignant condition can spread to other organs in the body and it can be life-threatening.