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carcinoma

American  
[kahr-suh-noh-muh] / ˌkɑr səˈnoʊ mə /

noun

Pathology.
  • carcinomas,
    plural
  • carcinomata
    plural
  1. a malignant and invasive epithelial tumor that spreads by metastasis and often recurs after excision; cancer.


carcinoma British  
/ ˌkɑːsɪˈnəʊmə /

noun

  1. any malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue

  2. another name for cancer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

carcinoma Scientific  
/ kär′sə-nōmə /
  • carcinomas
    plural
  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 Cultural  
  1. A malignant tumor in the tissues that make up the skin, glands, mucous membranes, and lining of organs.


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of carcinoma

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

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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:

These included tumors derived from human melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

From Science Daily Aug. 25, 2026

Analysts are waiting for a Phase 2 readout in renal cell carcinoma that’s expected later this year to see if the cancer vaccine works in other types of cancer.

From MarketWatch Aug. 19, 2026

Simon revealed that in the same period, she underwent surgery to treat skin cancer, specifically basal cell carcinoma on her face.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 27, 2026

Site selection for the Amgen trial, focused on patients with limited-stage small cell lung carcinoma, is under way.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 28, 2026

Her tumor was invasive, but not an epidermoid carcinoma as originally diagnosed.

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

While they have an unpleasant appearance, and need to be removed, these carcinomas seldom spread beyond the skin and rarely have serious health consequences.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 16, 2026

Basal cell carcinomas are common in the areas of the body most exposed to the sun: typically, the head, face, neck and arms, said Dr. Paras Vakharia, an assistant professor of dermatology at Northwestern Medicine.

From Seattle Times Mar. 24, 2024

Basal cell carcinomas have relatively little lineage plasticity and are far less aggressive than squamous cell carcinomas.

From Science Daily Mar. 7, 2024

Jackman reassured fans that basal cell carcinomas are the "least dangerous" in the world of skin cancer, but said he hoped his scare reminds people to be sun-safe.

From BBC Apr. 4, 2023

Cervical carcinomas are divided into two types: invasive carcinomas, which have penetrated the surface of the cervix, and noninvasive carcinomas, which haven’t.

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

They occur at an earlier age than carcinomata.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various

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