Oncogenous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɒŋˈkɒd͡ʒɪnəs/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the formation and generation of tumors, it encompasses the characteristics of cells or tissues that can initiate neoplastic growth
2. Relating to the development of neoplasms, it refers to the abilities of certain cells to undergo transformation into tumor-forming entities
3. Associated with tumor formation, it describes the qualities of cells or tissues that have the potential to promote cancerous growths

Etymology: "Oncogenous" is a plain technical formation, built from "onco-", a combining form from Greek "onkos", meaning "mass" or "bulk" and, in medical use, a tumour, and the suffix "-genous", from Greek "-genēs", "born of" or "produced by," as in "-genic". Together they describe something that produces or gives rise to tumours. The word belongs to modern medical and biological terminology rather than to any ancient vocabulary. Its parts were assembled from classical Greek roots, and the "onco-" element is used in the same way in related coinages such as "oncology," the study of tumours. The adjective is used of agents, substances, or processes that encourage tumour growth, and the term is a useful reminder that much of the vocabulary of cancer science was built in the modern era from Greek building blocks.