chemotherapy

noun

che·​mo·​ther·​a·​py ˌkē-mō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce chemotherapy (audio)
: the therapeutic use of chemical agents to treat disease
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

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

called also chemo

chemotherapist noun

Examples of chemotherapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An 81-year-old died while awaiting chemotherapy treatment in a crowded, understaffed hospital, for example. Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024 In the joyful video announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatment for cancer, Kate Middleton and her family dress smartly but casually, playing in nature on a sunny day. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024 Kate Middleton finishes chemotherapy, Beyoncé gets snubbed, and Fortune’s Nina Ajemian speaks to former AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow about the importance of inclusion. Nina Ajemian, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2024 Although the Princess of Wales, 42, has finished chemotherapy, she is not expected to fully return to royal duties anytime soon. Erin Hill, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chemotherapy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chemotherapy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Chemotherapie, from chemo- chemo- + Therapie therapy

Note: The German word Chemotherapie is strongly associated with Paul ehrlich, though it is uncertain if he is its originator. Ehrlich probably first used the word in print in the article "Chemotherapeutische Trypanosomen-Studien," Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, 44. Jahrgang, No. 9 (March 4, 1907), pp. 233-36 (along with the Latin equivalent chemotherapia in the phrase chemotherapia specifica). Ehrlich employed the word earlier, however, in an address read at the dedication of the Georg-Speyer-Haus in Frankfurt am Main on September 6, 1906. What appears to be a summary of the address was published as "Die Aufgaben der Chemotherapie" ("The Tasks of Chemotherapy") in the feuilleton section of the Frankfurter Zeitung und Handelsblatt, 51. Jahrgang, No. 244, September 4, 1906, p. 1. The full text of the address ("Ansprache bei Einweihung des Georg-Speyer-Hauses") was published for the first time in The Collected Papers of Paul Ehrlich, edited by F. Himmelweit, vol. III Chemotherapy (London, 1960), pp. 42-52.

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chemotherapy was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near chemotherapy

Cite this Entry

“Chemotherapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemotherapy. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

chemotherapy

noun
che·​mo·​ther·​a·​py ˌke-mō-ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce chemotherapy (audio)
: the use of chemical agents in the treatment or control of disease (as cancer)
chemotherapeutic
-ˌther-ə-ˈpyüt-ik
adjective

Medical Definition

chemotherapy

noun
che·​mo·​ther·​a·​py -ˈther-ə-pē How to pronounce chemotherapy (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on chemotherapy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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