precancerous

American  

[pree-kan-ser-uhs] / priˈkæn sər əs /

adjective

1. showing pathological changes that may be preliminary to malignancy.

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precancerous British  

adjective

1. (esp of cells) displaying characteristics that may develop into cancer

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Etymology

Origin of precancerous

1880–85; pre- ( def. ) + cancerous ( def. )

Explanation

A symptom or condition is considered precancerous by doctors if it's likely to turn into cancer if it isn't removed or treated. Most doctors recommend surgically removing precancerous skin growths. Most moles are nothing more than spots of pigment on your skin, but occasionally moles are diagnosed as being precancerous, or containing disordered cells at risk of becoming cancerous. Some precancerous growths never turn into cancer, but the slight risk that they might is usually enough to concern medical experts. Some doctors also use the term precancerous to talk about non-aggressive, early forms of cancer.

Example Sentences

Cervical-cancer rates in the U.S. have dropped significantly since the 1970s thanks to widespread screening for precancerous cells and the rollout of the HPV vaccine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Earlier research from the Fuchs lab showed that precancerous skin stem cells can become dependent on circulating serine and that limiting serine in the diet helps stop these cells from turning cancerous.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

The fight Lee is referring to is her diagnosis nine years ago of ductal carcinoma in situ, a precancerous condition that can lead to malignant breast cancer.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2024

The biggest issue with the blood tests is that, unlike colonoscopies, they miss most of the precancerous growths on the colon that, if detected and removed, would prevent a person from developing cancer.

From New York Times • May 23, 2024

Deer inhabiting nearby forests sometimes had abnormal pigment spots and precancerous warts.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson