precancerous
adjective
pre·can·cer·ous
(ˌ)prē-ˈkan(t)s-rəs 
-ˈkan(t)-sə-
: tending to become cancerous
a precancerous lesion
Examples of precancerous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no evidence yet that Fusobacterium nucleatum can cause cancer to form where there are no existing precancerous cells, Han said.
—
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Perry also remained a faithful advocate for Fight Colorectal Cancer, an organization whose work encouraged Perry to undergo a colonoscopy in 2015 that revealed precancerous cells.
—Aili Nahas, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
In the study, the test caught 83% of the cancers but very few of the precancerous growths found by colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening.
—Carla K. Johnson, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
The test’s sensitivity for stage 1 colorectal cancer was 65%, and the number for advanced precancerous lesions was 13.5%.
—Damian Garde Reprints, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024
An abnormal pap can indicate the presence of cancerous or precancerous cells; follow-up testing is usually recommended.
—Longreads, 4 Jan. 2024
And now, after his dermatologist told him that sun exposure from his car window played a role in his diagnosis of precancerous skin growths, Campbell, 56, is encouraging others to consider sunscreen.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023
Mucinous neoplasms: Generally benign tumors that include lesions with precancerous potential.
—USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
When precancerous tissue forms, new blood vessels grow to supply it with blood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Jan. 2024
Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024
Perry also remained a faithful advocate for Fight Colorectal Cancer, an organization whose work encouraged Perry to undergo a colonoscopy in 2015 that revealed precancerous cells.
—Aili Nahas, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
In the study, the test caught 83% of the cancers but very few of the precancerous growths found by colonoscopy, the gold standard for colon cancer screening.
—Carla K. Johnson, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2024
The test’s sensitivity for stage 1 colorectal cancer was 65%, and the number for advanced precancerous lesions was 13.5%.
—Damian Garde Reprints, STAT, 14 Mar. 2024
An abnormal pap can indicate the presence of cancerous or precancerous cells; follow-up testing is usually recommended.
—Longreads, 4 Jan. 2024
And now, after his dermatologist told him that sun exposure from his car window played a role in his diagnosis of precancerous skin growths, Campbell, 56, is encouraging others to consider sunscreen.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023
Mucinous neoplasms: Generally benign tumors that include lesions with precancerous potential.
—USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
When precancerous tissue forms, new blood vessels grow to supply it with blood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'precancerous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Precancerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precancerous. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
precancerous
adjective
pre·can·cer·ous
-ˈkan(t)s-(ə-)rəs
: tending to become cancerous : premalignant
a precancerous lesion
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