Affixes

Some examples derive directly from Greek, such as carcinoma, cancer, now specifically a cancer arising in the epithelial tissue of the skin or of the lining of the internal organs (Greek karkinōma, from karkinos, crab, because the swollen veins around the tumour resembled the limbs of a crab); sarcoma (Greek sarkōma, from sarx, sark‑, flesh), a malignant tumour of connective or other non-epithelial tissue. On the model of these, many others have been formed in English, such as lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes, typically a malignant tumour associated with skin cancer; fibroma (Latin fibra, fibre, filament), a benign fibrous tumour of connective tissue; mesothelioma (Greek mesos, middle, plus thēlē, teat), a cancer of mesothelial tissue; xanthoma (Greek xanthos, yellow), an irregular yellow patch or nodule on the skin, caused by deposition of lipids. See also the next entry. See also onco‑.