Cancer is a disease in which some cells in the body grow and divide uncontrollably, forming tumors and sometimes spreading to other parts of the body. It can affect many different organs and tissues.
From Latin 'cancer' meaning 'crab,' used by Hippocrates and other ancient doctors to describe tumors with swollen veins that looked like a crab’s legs. The same word named the constellation and zodiac sign. English borrowed it through medical Latin.
Try Another Word