Daily AncestorMalignant disease
Malignant disease on an old record was a vague way of writing cancer, usually without naming the organ.
The 1911 Census Bureau manual lists malignant disease among the forms of cancer. Its list of undesirable terms says malignant should only qualify a named growth, and asks the doctor to give the organ first affected.
The manual's list of cancer forms also includes malignant growth, malignant tumor and malignant ulcer. Read the phrase as cancer of an unknown site unless the organ is named.
As seen in a recordCause of death line, state death certificate, 1910s to 1930s
Cause: Malignant disease of abdomen, 4 mos.
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Daily Ancestor. "Malignant disease." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/malignant-disease. Last checked 2026-10-12.