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Glite Dictionary
oral cancer

oral cancer

1 3.7
A disease in the mouth when harmful cells grow and form a lump often on the lips or tongue
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrəl ˈkæn.sɚ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cáncer oral
  • As well, chat chewers may be at greater risk for oral cancer.
  • early detection of oral cancer
  • detection of oral cancer
  • oral cancer risk

He is diagnosed with an oral cancer.

Examples

  • Many people are unaware that oral cancer can develop without any noticeable symptoms.

  • Five patients had been diagnosed with oral cancer, and the remainder had been diagnosed with pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer.

    Academic text (2011)

  • I lost my mother to oral cancer in 2008.

    Blog text (13)

  • None knew that age and human papillomavirus are also risk factors associated with oral cancer.

    Academic text (2009)

  • I have a feeding tube and I'm very disfigured from oral cancer.

    Blog text (13)

  • I went through my first round of oral cancer being treated with chemo and radiation without a caregiver.

    Blog text (13)

  • I am also an oral cancer survivor and very active on the Oral Cancer Forum (OCF).

    Blog text (13)

  • Eight of the 14 patients had undergone surgery for oral cancer, and the remainder had undergone surgery for pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer.

    Academic text (2011)

  • While buccal SCC is rare in the Western Hemisphere, it is one of the most common forms of oral cancer in Central and Southeast Asia, primarily because the residents of those regions habitually chew tobacco and betel nuts.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Regular dental check-ups can help in the early detection of oral cancer.

Synonyms

carcinoma
vsoral cancer
  • Specialized
11 5.8

A cancer that starts in the skin or inner layer of organs

is the same but limited to cancers developing in the mouth area
malignancy
vsoral cancer
  • Specialized
5 8.0

Cancer cells that grow without control and can destroy nearby tissue

is a specific cancerous growth found in mouth tissues not the general presence
malignant tumor
vsoral cancer
4 5.0

A group of harmful cells that grow and spread in the body

is located specifically in mouth tissues rather than any body site

How Serious

oral cancer
  • Specialized
1 3.7
precancerous
  • Specialized
2 5.8

Surface Forms

oral cancer singular
oral cancers plural

Morphology

oral + cancer

The meaning 'a malignant tumor in the mouth' is directly and compositionally derived from 'oral' (pertaining to the mouth) + 'cancer' (disease of uncontrolled cell division). This is a standard medical noun phrase and follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Oral cancer is a clear, literal name: oral means related to the 'mouth' and cancer means a harmful growth. So oral cancer means 'a dangerous growth or tumor in the mouth', often found on the lips, tongue, or inner cheek.