Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
tumor purity
The percentage of cancer cells present in a tumor tissue sample.
Full Definition
Tumor purity refers to the proportion of malignant cells within a tumor tissue sample, expressed as a percentage of total nucleated cells. This metric is critical for accurate genomic analysis, as low tumor purity can reduce sensitivity for detecting somatic mutations and affect copy number analysis. Tumor purity assessment involves histopathological review and computational estimation methods, with minimum thresholds typically required for reliable molecular testing results.
Usage
Usage note: Typically reported as a percentage with minimum thresholds for molecular testing.
In Context
- "The pathologist estimated tumor purity at 85%, meeting the minimum threshold for molecular sequencing." — Pathology report
- "Low tumor purity in the sample may have contributed to the failure to detect known driver mutations." — Laboratory documentation
Also known as
cancer cell content
tumor cellularity
malignant cell percentage
Contrasted with
stromal content
normal tissue contamination
Don't confuse with
tumor viability
cellularity