Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical treatment using chemical substances to treat disease: Specifically, "chemotherapy" refers to the use of powerful chemical drugs to destroy or control the growth of rapidly dividing cells, most commonly in the treatment of cancer. It can also refer to the use of chemical agents to treat other diseases or conditions.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • After her diagnosis, she began a course of chemotherapy.
  • The oncologist explained the potential side effects of the chemotherapy.
  • Chemotherapy is often used in combination with surgery or radiation therapy.

Advanced Usage

• Adjuvant chemotherapy: Chemotherapy given after a primary treatment (like surgery) to kill any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
  • She received adjuvant chemotherapy to ensure all the cancer cells were eliminated.
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Chemotherapy given before a primary treatment to shrink a tumor, making the subsequent treatment (like surgery) more effective.
  • The neoadjuvant chemotherapy successfully reduced the size of the tumor.
• Palliative chemotherapy: Chemotherapy used not to cure cancer, but to relieve symptoms, shrink tumors, and improve quality of life.
  • The goal of the palliative chemotherapy was to manage her pain and improve her comfort.

Variants and Related Words

• Chemotherapeutic (adj): Relating to or used in chemotherapy.
  • The patient is on a chemotherapeutic regimen.
• Chemotherapist (n): A specialist who administers chemotherapy (less common; "oncologist" is more frequently used).
• Chemo (n, informal): A common abbreviation for chemotherapy.
  • He's feeling tired after his last round of chemo.

Synonyms

• Drug therapy: A broader term for treatment using pharmaceutical drugs.
• Cytotoxic therapy: Treatment using agents toxic to cells, often synonymous with chemotherapy for cancer.
• Antineoplastic therapy: Therapy specifically aimed at combating neoplastic (cancerous) cells.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• Undergo chemotherapy: To receive chemotherapy treatment.
  • She had to undergo chemotherapy for six months.
• Chemotherapy regimen/course: The specific plan, drugs, dosage, and schedule for chemotherapy.
  • The doctor outlined a strict chemotherapy regimen.
• Chemotherapy side effects: The unintended symptoms caused by chemotherapy, such as nausea, fatigue, or hair loss.
  • Managing chemotherapy side effects is an important part of care.

Notes on Meaning

• While the core definition involves using chemical agents to treat disease, in modern medical parlance, "chemotherapy" is overwhelmingly associated with the treatment of cancer. Its use for other conditions (e.g., certain autoimmune diseases) is more specialized and less common in general usage. It is distinct from other treatments like radiotherapy (radiation) or immunotherapy.

Noun

1. the use of chemical agents to treat or control disease (or mental illness)