Anticancerous

/ˌæntiˈkænsərəs/ adjective

Definition

Effective at fighting, preventing, or treating cancer and malignant tumors.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + cancerous (having the nature of cancer), from Latin cancer. This is a variant of 'anticancer' with slightly more emphasis on the disease state.

Kelly Says

The subtle difference between 'anticancer' and 'anticancerous' shows how English allows flexibility—one fights the disease itself, the other fights the cancerous condition, and scientists choose carefully depending on nuance.

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