melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata ˌme-lə-ˈnō-mə-tə 

1

: a tumor containing dark pigment

2

: a highly malignant tumor that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

Examples of melanoma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nivolumab, sold under the brand name Opdivo, has been approved by the FDA to be included in treatment regimens for many other types of cancer, including small cell lung cancer, melanoma and urothelial carcinoma. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024

Mural Oncology is positioned to address large unmet medical needs in PROC and mucosal melanoma, two indications with limited therapeutic options. —Joe Cornell, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Jane Figueiredo, a researcher at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles and one of the co-authors of the report, says treatments and better detection methods have made even highly lethal cancers like lung or melanoma much more survivable. —Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 18 Sep. 2024

The combination therapy achieves higher response rates in patients with advanced melanoma, kidney cancer and certain lung cancers compared to treatment with a single inhibitor. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

melan- (in melanosis, melanotic) + -oma

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melanoma

• malignant melanoma

Kids Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

: a usually malignant tumor containing dark pigment

Medical Definition

melanoma

noun

mel·​a·​no·​ma ˌmel-ə-ˈnō-mə 

plural melanomas also melanomata -mət-ə 

1

: a benign or malignant skin tumor containing dark pigment

2

: a tumor of high malignancy that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

called also malignant melanoma, melanocarcinoma, melanoepithelioma, melanosarcoma