chemotherapist

1 of 2

noun

che·​mo·​ther·​a·​pist -ˈther-ə-pəst 

: a specialist in chemotherapy

chemotherapy

2 of 2

noun

che·​mo·​ther·​a·​py -ˈther-ə-pē 

plural chemotherapies

: the therapeutic use of chemical agents to treat disease

Pyrazinamide is one of the most important drugs in modern chemotherapy of tuberculosis …

—Max Salfinger et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association

especially : the administration of one or more cytotoxic drugs to destroy or inhibit the growth and division of malignant cells in the treatment of cancer

Cancer cells mutate at a furious rate, and they can evolve the means to resist most chemotherapy drugs, requiring higher and more toxic doses to achieve an effect.

—Shannon Brownlee and Nancy Shute, U.S. News & World Report

Neutropenia and infection are major dose-limiting side effects of chemotherapy.

—Jeffrey Crawford et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

called also chemo

Note: Chemotherapy may be used alone as a primary treatment or may be used before, after, or in conjunction with surgery or radiation.