disease process 疾病过程 Disease process is the progression disease in an individual over time. The process begins with the appropriate exposure to or accumulation of factors sufficient for the disease process to begin in a susceptible host. For an infectious disease, the exposure is a microorganism. For cancer, the exposure may be a factor that initiates the process, such as asbestos fibers or components in tobacco smoke (for lung cancer), or one that promotes the process, such as estrogen (for endometrial cancer). https://www.cdc.gov/ophss/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section9.html pathological bodily process