Oncogeneses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A process involving the formation of cancer-causing genes that can lead to tumor development
2. The biological mechanism by which certain genes become activated in a way that promotes the transformation of normal cells into cancerous ones
3. The series of changes at the genetic level that contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer through specific gene alterations

Etymology: "Oncogeneses" is simply the plural of "oncogenesis," so it is the form used when discussing more than one instance of the process. The noun "oncogenesis" is built from two Greek-derived elements: "onco-," from Greek "onkos," meaning "mass" or "tumour," and "-genesis," from Greek "genesis," meaning "origin" or "production." Together they describe the origin or formation of a cancer. Both elements were long used in medical and scientific Greek-based vocabulary, so the compound follows the same pattern as many modern technical terms. The plural follows the Greek-derived ending "-is," which becomes "-es" in the plural, as in "genesis" to "geneses."

Synonyms: cancer development, tumor formation, carcinogenesis