cancer of unknown primary origin
Synonyms: occult, unknown
Abbreviations: CUP
Definition: In a small number of cancer patients, a case in which cancer cells are found in the body, but the place where the cells first started growing (the origin or primary site) cannot be determined, in spite of extensive tests. In that case, doctors refer to the primary tumor as un-known or occult, and the patient is said to have cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP).
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