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In using the term "benign cancer" they may refer to microscopic dormant tumours or cells that are apparently fairly common according to various autopsy studies on people ho died of other causes than cancer (accidents,old age....).
This is especially true for prostate cancer cells which show up in the majority of male autopsies.
Dr M.J. Folkman in his lectures on angiogenesis often refers to this data to explain the role of the "angiogenesis switch" in changing the the behaviour of dormant cancer cells into proliferating malignant ones.
I recall reading about two such switches discovered by two different research groups. And there may be anything that disturb the balance between the endogenous inhibitors & promotors of angiogenesis. Even primary tumours have been found to cause the secretion of both inhibitors & promotors of cancer growth even at remote locations.
If the blood test detects cancer at the microscopic stage, then low toxicity maintenance treatments may eventually be devised to keep the disease at a very low level were the patient feels like disease free.
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