carcinoma

Term: carcinoma

Anc Greek καρκίνος/carkinos(=crab) + ωμα/oma(=suffix denoting mass growth)

καρκίνος > κρατύνω+κινώ (= hard+move)

Coined: by Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) who noted similarity of crabs to some tumors and especially he used the Greek words carcinos" and "carcinoma" to refer to chronic ulcers and σκίρρος/"squirr(h)e(=cobblestone ) to refer to a type of epithelium  cancer with a hard consistency. Celsus(ca25ΒC-ca50) used the Greek term κακοήθεια/"cacoethes(bad+ character)  to refer to early-stage tumours. Galien (130-200) used the Greek term "oncos" to refer to a tumour that looked malignant using also the term carkinona and cancer for breast cancer as "the swollen veins surrounding a tumour resembled a crab’s limbs".

Definition:

A carcinoma is type of malignant tumor consisting of transformed epithelial cells.