adenocarcinoma

American  

[ad-n-oh-kahr-suh-noh-muh] / ˌæd n oʊˌkɑr səˈnoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.

plural

adenocarcinomas, adenocarcinomata

1. a malignant tumor arising from secretory epithelium.

2. a malignant tumor of glandlike structure.

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adenocarcinoma British  

/ ˌædɪnəʊˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə /

noun

1. a malignant tumour originating in glandular tissue

2. a malignant tumour with a glandlike structure

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Other Word Forms

• adenocarcinomatous adjective

Etymology

Origin of adenocarcinoma

First recorded in 1885–90; adeno- + carcinoma

Example Sentences

The drug, daraxonrasib, showed improvements in survival and success compared with standard-of-care cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who had been previously treated.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Her family then arranged a private appointment and she was referred to a specialist, who gave Jess a terminal cancer diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, cancer of the glands that line the organs, in November.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Jenks has been diagnosed with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025

Using their new method, the researchers introduced p53 mutations in human lung adenocarcinoma cells, then measured the survival rates of these cells, allowing them to determine each mutation's effect on cell fitness.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2024

Rather, the article said, it was “a very aggressive adenocarcinoma of the cervix,” meaning it originated from glandular tissue in her cervix instead of epithelial tissue.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot