melphalan

noun

mel·​pha·​lan ˈmel-fə-ˌlan 

: an antineoplastic drug C₁₃H₁₈Cl₂N₂O₂

Examples of melphalan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His list of drugs included ketamine, propofol, hydromorphone, melphalan, fentanyl, topotecan, pentamidine, albuterol, prednisolone and aldosterone. — Dayna Copeland, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2025

Only 5 percent of patients had a complete remission after the standard treatment – namely, a steroid and melphalan, an old chemotherapy derived from nitrogen mustard, used in chemical warfare. — Marie McCullough, Philly.com, 17 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

probably from methanol + phenylalanine

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

melphalan

noun

mel·​pha·​lan ˈmel-fə-ˌlan 

: an antineoplastic drug C₁₃H₁₈Cl₂N₂O₂ that is a derivative of nitrogen mustard and is used especially in the treatment of multiple myeloma

called also L-PAM, phenylalanine mustard, sarcolysin