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intermediate grade

(IN-ter-MEE-dee-ut grayd)
A term used to describe how abnormal cancer cells look under a microscope. Intermediate-grade cancer cells look more abnormal than low-grade cancer cells but not as abnormal as high-grade cancer cells. They also tend to grow and spread more quickly than low-grade cancer cells but not as quickly as high-grade cancer cells. Cancer cell grade, along with cancer type and stage, may be used to help plan treatment and determine prognosis.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms