Carcinogen

Pronunciation
/kar-sin-ogen/
Category
Toxicology
Singular
Carcinogen
Plural
Carcinogens

Definition

A substance that can cause cancer.

Etymology

From Latin 'cancer' (crab-like tumor) and '-gen', meaning 'producing'.

Example

Exposure to carcinogens such as tobacco smoke increases the risk of lung cancer.

Related Terms

  • Mutagen
  • Cancer
  • Tumor