What it means
The combining form for cancer. A carcinoma is a cancer that starts in the cells lining an organ or the skin, the most common type of cancer. A carcinogen is something that can cause cancer, such as tobacco smoke or asbestos, and carcinogenic means cancer-causing. Carcinoma in situ is a cancer that has not spread beyond where it started.
At a glance
| Also written | carcino- |
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Related terms
antineoplastic
A drug used to treat cancer by killing cancer cells or stopping them from growing and dividing.
melanoma
A cancer that starts in melanocytes, the cells that give skin its color.
metastasis
The spread of cancer cells from where the cancer started to other parts of the body.
lymphoma
A cancer of lymphocytes, the white blood cells of the lymph system.