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
Meat that's been smoked, grilled, charcoaled, or preserved with salt may lead to gene mutations and precancerous changes in the stomach.
—
Carrie Madormo, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Obesity increases body-wide inflammation, which can set the stage for precancerous changes.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Cervical cancer screenings allow physicians to spot and remove cancerous or even precancerous lesions (clusters of odd-looking cells that could one day become cancer).
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 3 Sep. 2025
Researchers found that endoscopists—physicians who perform colonoscopies—were significantly less effective at detecting precancerous polyps without AI assistance after becoming accustomed to using the technology.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precancerous
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Carrie Madormo, Health, 17 Oct. 2025
Obesity increases body-wide inflammation, which can set the stage for precancerous changes.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Cervical cancer screenings allow physicians to spot and remove cancerous or even precancerous lesions (clusters of odd-looking cells that could one day become cancer).
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 3 Sep. 2025
Researchers found that endoscopists—physicians who perform colonoscopies—were significantly less effective at detecting precancerous polyps without AI assistance after becoming accustomed to using the technology.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precancerous
Cite this Entry
“Precancerous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precancerous. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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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