Carcin/o denotes which of the following?

• A. Benign tumor
• B. Cancer
• C. Infection
• D. Inflammation

Answer: (B)

Carcin/o is a combining form that means cancer. It appears in terms like carcinoma, which refers to a malignant tumor arising from epithelial tissue, and in words such as carcinogenic, describing something capable of causing cancer. This root specifically signals cancer, not a benign growth, infection, or inflammation. Benign tumors use other endings or roots (for example, -oma with benign qualifiers like adenoma for a benign glandular tumor), while infection and inflammation are described with different roots such as infect/o or inflam- / -itis. So the idea conveyed by carcin/o is cancer.