any malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue; one of the four major types of cancer
"The biopsy results confirmed that his lung mass was a carcinoma, identifying it as one of the most common forms of malignant cancer."
An invasive malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue that tends to metastasize to other areas of the body.
"Doctors diagnosed the patient with a carcinoma, an invasive malignant tumor derived from epithelial tissue that has begun to spread to distant organs."
In plain English: Carcinoma is cancer that starts in cells found on the surface of your skin or inside organs and glands.
"The doctor explained that his diagnosis was an early stage carcinoma treatable with surgery."
Usage: Carcinoma refers specifically to cancerous tumors arising from skin or lining tissues, distinguishing it from sarcomas which develop in bone and muscle. This term is strictly medical and should not be used casually when discussing general illness or non-cancerous growths.
The word carcinoma entered English as a learned borrowing from Latin and originally traced back to Ancient Greek, where it meant "sore" or "ulcer." Its name comes from the Greek root for crab because early physicians believed cancerous tumors looked like crabs with their spreading limbs.