chemotherapy

[kee-moh-ther-uh-pee, kem-oh-] /ˌki moʊˈθɛr ə pi, ˌkɛm oʊ-/
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.
Compare pharmacotherapy.
Origin
1905-10; chemo- + therapy
Related forms
chemotherapist, noun
Examples from the web for chemotherapy
  • Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments advance constantly.
  • Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy often experience hair loss.
  • chemotherapy is standard treatment for metastasized cancer.
  • Doctors admit they have reached the limits of effective dosage with chemotherapy.
  • She underwent a round of chemotherapy that nauseated her and caused her hair to fall out, but the cancer had gone away.
  • Gene research combined with chemotherapy has been successful in patients with head and neck cancer.
  • The second and third said chemotherapy would buy more time, but surgery would not.
  • Pickets prevented chemotherapy chemicals leaving the docks for hospitals.
  • chemotherapy is another option, but radiation isn't picky about what it kills.
  • These are mostly injected medicines, such as generic chemotherapy drugs.
British Dictionary definitions for chemotherapy

chemotherapy

/ˌkiːməʊˈθɛrəpɪ; kiːmə-/
noun
1.
treatment of disease, esp cancer, by means of chemical agents Compare radiotherapy
Derived Forms
chemotherapist, noun
Word Origin and History for chemotherapy
n.

1906, from German Chemotherapie, coined by German biochemist Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915), from chemo- + therapie (see therapy).

chemotherapy in Medicine

chemotherapy che·mo·ther·a·py (kē'mō-thěr'ə-pē, kěm'ō-)
n.

  1. The treatment of cancer using specific chemical agents or drugs that are selectively 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 virus or other microorganism.

che'mo·ther'a·peu'tic (-pyōō'tĭk) adj.
che'mo·ther'a·peu'ti·cal·ly adv.
che'mo·ther'a·pist n.
chemotherapy in Science
chemotherapy
  (kē'mō-thěr'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 in Culture
chemotherapy [(kee-moh-ther-uh-pee)]

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.

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