procarcinogenn.
/ˌprəʊkɑːˈsɪnədʒ(ə)n/, U.S. /ˌproʊkɑrˈsɪnədʒ(ə)n/ Medicine.
A substance that is not directly carcinogenic but can be converted into a carcinogen by metabolic processes in the body.
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the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > [noun] > cancer > substance producing
carcinogen1853
co-carcinogen1938
procarcinogen1963
1963 Clin. Pharmacol. & Therapeutics 4 111/1 A compound requiring metabolic activation is one which when administered to animals is very likely not carcinogenic by itself (‘procarcinogen’) but requires transformation in the host to become a ‘proximate’ carcinogen—a sort of lethal synthesis.
1983 Science (Nexis) 22 Apr. 425 Cigarette tar is a complete carcinogenic system, containing both procarcinogens..and potent cocarcinogens.
2002 Carcinogenesis 23 2055/2 Cruciferous vegetables have been shown to possess chemo-preventive activity against a variety of other cancers... This occurs primarily through their effects on the metabolism of pro-carcinogens.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1963