precancerous

adjective

pre·can·cer·ous | \ (ˌ)prē-ˈkan(t)s-rəs

, -ˈkan(t)-sə-\

Definition of precancerous

: tending to become cancerous a precancerous lesion

Examples of precancerous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sunburns raise your risk for permanent skin damage and certain diseases, including premature aging, precancerous skin lesions, and skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How Long a Sunburn Lasts Before Fading Away — And How to Make It Heal Faster," 17 Apr. 2019 This may be done to smooth out the skin after treatment or, in some cases, even as part of treatment to remove precancerous patches of skin. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Melanie Griffith Posted a 'Bandaged' Selfie After Undergoing Dermabrasion Following Her Skin Cancer Treatment," 28 Aug. 2018 Spotting can also signal an infection or precancerous changes in the lining of your uterus. — Sari Harrar, Good Housekeeping, "4 Perimenopause Period Symptoms That Could Be Serious," 3 July 2018 In the cervix, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types can lead to precancerous changes that, left alone, slowly turn malignant. — Marie Mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "HPV is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses," 12 Mar. 2018 The results, which appeared in The Lancet in 2001, showed that patients who applied the T4N5 developed significantly fewer cancerous and precancerous lesions than the placebo group. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "DNA-Repairing Sunscreen: Legit or Not?," 2 July 2018 In the cervix, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types can lead to precancerous changes that, left alone, slowly turn malignant. — Marie Mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "HPV is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses," 12 Mar. 2018 In the cervix, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types can lead to precancerous changes that, left alone, slowly turn malignant. — Marie Mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "HPV is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses," 12 Mar. 2018 In the cervix, persistent infection with high-risk HPV types can lead to precancerous changes that, left alone, slowly turn malignant. — Marie Mccullough, chicagotribune.com, "HPV is causing an oral cancer epidemic in men by outwitting natural defenses," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'precancerous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.