malignant melanoma
2
6.0
- noun
- /məˈlɪɡnənt ˌmɛləˈnoʊmə/
- Specialized
:
melanoma maligno
- A rising trend in the incidence of malignant melanoma has been highlighted, especially in developed countries.
- patients with malignant melanoma
- primary malignant melanoma
- seven patients with malignant melanoma
Examples
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The anatomical distribution and the advanced stage of disease at presentation reflect the pattern of malignant melanoma in Black populations elsewhere.
Academic text (2007) -
We propose to explore these ideas further in malignant melanoma and other cancers.
Academic text (1992) -
Two months ago you thought you had a malignant melanoma.
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The prevalence of malignant melanoma might be higher than our present findings.
Academic text (2007) -
Conclusion: Malignant melanoma represents 4.46% of all cancers registered and is the most frequent skin cancer.
Academic text (2007) -
Introduction: Little information is available on the characteristics and epidemiology of malignant melanoma in Cameroon and sub-Saharan Africa in general.
Academic text (2007) -
Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma have been associated with UVR exposure.
Academic text (1998) -
Adverse health effects include photokeratitis, pterygium, some types of cataracts, basal and squamous cell carcinomas, and malignant melanoma.
Academic text (1998) -
Doctors warned that if detected early, malignant melanoma can be treated effectively.
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A family history of skin cancer increases the risk of developing malignant melanoma.
Synonyms
∞
2.7
A serious disease in which body cells grow out of control and spread
31
4.9
A dangerous skin cancer that often starts in a dark mole and can spread
30
2.5
A growth of skin cells that can be harmful, often after too much sun
5
8.0
Cancer cells that grow without control and can destroy nearby tissue
4
5.0
A group of harmful cells that grow and spread in the body
1
5.2
A cancer that grows into nearby tissue and can spread to other parts of the body
A harmful growth of body cells that can spread to other parts
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'malignant' (harmful, aggressive) modifies 'melanoma' (a dangerous skin tumor), so the phrase denotes a serious, harmful form of melanoma/skin cancer. This is a regular adjective + noun medical construction found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
Malignant melanoma comes from two parts: melanoma comes from an old word for 'black' because this cancer often shows as dark, odd-shaped spots on the skin, and malignant means 'dangerous' and likely to spread. So the name literally describes a dangerous dark skin growth, which is why it refers to this serious form of skin cancer.