Final answer:
The statement is true. An embolism occurs when an embolus, which may include debris from a tumor, gets lodged in an artery blocking blood flow. This may lead to serious conditions such as a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a mass or tissue originally part of a tumor detaches and travels through the bloodstream, it can indeed create a blockage in an artery, obstructing blood flow. However, this is a specific type of embolism known as a tumor embolism - falling under the broader category of embolisms that can include other types of debris. The statement that 'a traveling mass or tissue/debris from a tumor gets lodged in a smaller artery that blocks blood flow is an embolism' is true.
In general, an embolus is any traveling clot or piece of material that moves through the bloodstream and can become lodged, blocking blood flow and forming an embolism. A common source of an embolus is a thrombus, which is a blood clot that has broken free from the blood vessel wall. When referring to a clot that originates from within the circulatory system, an embolus can get trapped in a smaller blood vessel, potentially causing life-threatening conditions such as a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism.