carcinoma

[kahr-suh-noh-muh]

noun

Pathology.

plural

carcinomas, carcinomata 

1. a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.

carcinoma

/ ˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə /

noun

1. any malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue

2. another name for cancer

carcinoma

plural

carcinomas 

1. Any of various cancerous tumors that are derived from epithelial tissue of the skin, blood vessels, or other organs and that tend to metastasize to other parts of the body.

2. See also basal cell carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma

carcinoma

1. A malignant tumor in the tissues that make up the skin, glands, mucous membranes, and lining of organs.

Other Word Forms

• carcinomatoid adjective
• carcinomatous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcinoma¹

1715–25; < Latin: ulcer, tumor < Greek karkínōma; carcino-, -oma

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcinoma¹

C18: from Latin, from Greek karkinōma, from karkinos _cancer

Example Sentences

Last year, she found a lump in her neck and was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer.

Read more on BBC

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay shared his skin cancer diagnosis on social media, revealing that he had surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They tracked each patient's next diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma or cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Read more on Science Daily

Charlotte was diagnosed with stage one TFE3 renal cell carcinoma - a rare form of kidney cancer.

Read more on BBC

That is the makings of a bad habit—a fast-track to chewing tobacco, which is directly linked to oral squamous cell carcinoma, a horrible disease.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• corruption 
• disease 
• malignancy 
• sickness 
• tumor