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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread physician, heal thyself #147036 08/29/2005 1:43 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory Alex Williams Pooh-Bah Alex Williams Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory but i am sure the doctors on board will chime in with some technical terms! I am more specifically interested in why the Latin word for "crab" was applied to the phenomenon of malignancy. "Tumor" is Latin for a mass or lump, and is descriptive of a physical exam finding. But using the word "cancer" reflects a somewhat poetic choice, and I just wondered what the origin of it was. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted origin of the word "cancer" Alex Williams 08/29/2005 11:52 AM Re: origin of the word "cancer" of troy 08/29/2005 1:25 PM physician, heal thyself Alex Williams 08/29/2005 1:43 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" zmjezhd 08/29/2005 2:08 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" Alex Williams 08/29/2005 2:14 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" inselpeter 08/29/2005 3:02 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" Jackie 08/29/2005 5:49 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" Alex Williams 08/29/2005 5:53 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" zmjezhd 08/29/2005 6:28 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" inselpeter 08/29/2005 8:04 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" Buffalo Shrdlu 08/29/2005 8:18 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" zmjezhd 08/29/2005 9:32 PM Re: origin of the word "cancer" inselpeter 08/30/2005 2:51 AM Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Flat Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,263 Members9,208 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard 9,208 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 27 A C Bowden 8 handymanhome 1 JerryC 1 Wood Delivery 1 Trusted Roofing 1 John Fox 1 Tony Hood 1 Forix Richard 1 John Flex 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,123 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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