1. Pathologic hyperplasia constitutes a fertile soil in which cancerous proliferations may eventually arise. Patients with hyperplasia are at increased risk for developing cancer. 2. Hyperplasia is the result of growth factor-driven proliferation of mature cells and increased output of new cells from tissue stem cells. 3. Metaplasia is a reversible change where one cell type replaces another. It results from the reprogramming of stem cells or undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, causing them to differentiate along a new pathway in response to environmental signals.