Carcinophagous

/ˌkɑrsɪˈnɒfəɡəs/ adjective

Definition

Describing organisms or cells that feed on, consume, or destroy cancer cells.

Etymology

From 'carcino-' (cancer) plus 'phagous' (eating, consuming, from Greek 'phagein' meaning to eat). This term describes biological processes where cancer cells are essentially 'eaten' by immune cells.

Kelly Says

Some white blood cells are naturally carcinophagous—they hunt down and destroy abnormal cells—which is why cancer happens when your immune system fails to spot malignant cells in time.

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