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precancerous

American

[pree-kan-ser-uhs] / priˈkæn sər əs /

adjective

showing pathological changes that may be preliminary to malignancy.

precancerous British

adjective

(esp of cells) displaying characteristics that may develop into 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

Etymology

Origin of precancerous

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

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.

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

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

However, an in-person colonoscopy is preferable because it can detect precancerous growths that doctors can remove.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2024

Oral cancers and precancerous mouth lesions are considered especially difficult to diagnose early and accurately.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

This was a tremendous advance, because those precancerous cells weren’t detectable otherwise: they caused no physical symptoms and weren’t palpable or visible to the naked eye.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023