chemotherapy

[ kee-moh-ther-uh-pee, kem-oh- ]

noun

, Medicine/Medical.

1. the treatment of disease by means of chemicals that have a specific toxic effect upon the disease-producing microorganisms or that selectively destroy cancerous tissue.

chemotherapy

/ kiːmə-; ˌkiːməʊˈθɛrəpɪ /

noun

1. treatment of disease, esp cancer, by means of chemical agents Compare radiotherapy

chemotherapy

/ kē′mō-thĕr′ə-pē /

1. The treatment of disease, especially cancer, using drugs that are destructive to malignant cells and tissues.
2. The treatment of disease using chemical agents or drugs that are selectively toxic to the causative agent of the disease, such as a microorganism.

chemotherapy

1. The treatment of disease with chemicals. The term chemotherapy often refers to a kind of treatment for cancer in which chemicals are administered to destroy cancer cells .

Notes

There are often side effects to chemotherapy, a common one being the temporary loss of hair.

Derived Forms

• ˌchemoˈtherapist, noun

Other Words From

• chemo·thera·pist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chemotherapy¹

First recorded in 1905–10; chemo- + therapy

Example Sentences

She was forced to give up her business, and an infection during chemotherapy damaged her vocal cords, reducing her voice to a whisper.

From BBC

"As a result, we believe that combining an immunotherapy with a chemotherapy in a single pharmacological agent constitutes a promising new approach for treating the more challenging forms of influenza virus infection," he said.

From Science Daily

The brilliant brain surgeon Paul Brennan saved my life by chopping out most of my tumour and, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it seems to be keeping my cancer in check for now.

From BBC

In an Instagram post with multiple photos, Stamos is seen wearing a bald cap in support of Coulier who recently shaved his head to take preventive measures as he starts chemotherapy.

From Salon

That study also showed a significant increase in survival when high-dose, IV vitamin C was added to standard of care chemotherapy and radiation.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• bomber