Oncogenic (än•ko•je•nik) adj. Hardly photogenic, it means “causing tumors.” And it’s not exactly carcinogenic, either. While carcinogenic means “toxic substances that may cause cancer,” oncogenic refers to genes—including those inside viruses—that can turn normal cells cancerous. The vocab is vital. Positive people are at higher risk for cancers linked to viruses, including anal and cervical cancer caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). So, while you expand your vocabulary, get regular cancer screenings. They can help smear the enemy.