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
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
Adenomas are precancerous growths, and a higher ADR is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Getting screened can help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, because almost all colorectal cancers begin as precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precancerous
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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
Adenomas are precancerous growths, and a higher ADR is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Aug. 2025
Getting screened can help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, because almost all colorectal cancers begin as precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 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 1 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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