Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

cancer cluster

American  
[kan-ser kluhs-ter] / ˈkæn sər ˌklʌs tər /

noun

  1. the occurrence of a higher than expected number of cancer cases in a small, defined geographical area or population.


Etymology

Origin of cancer cluster

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Texas health officials in 2019 identified a cancer cluster in Houston’s historically Black Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

From Seattle Times Jul. 13, 2023

In the late 1990s, a cancer cluster sprouted in Suva Elementary and Intermediate Schools in Bell Gardens that led to a legal settlement against a nearby chromer.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 10, 2023

Despite decades of evidence proving that cancer cluster investigations are a drain on our resources and methodologically problematic, the public and our representatives can’t get enough of them.

From Slate Oct. 24, 2013

It would be really hard to hide a cancer cluster if there was one.

From New York Times Aug. 2, 2012

It's the kind of disproportionate grouping that epidemiologists call a "cancer cluster."

From Time Magazine Archive

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training