Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

chemotherapy

American  
[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.

chemotherapy British  
/ kiːmə-, ˌkiːməʊˈθɛrəpɪ /

noun

  1. treatment of disease, esp cancer, by means of chemical agents Compare radiotherapy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
chemotherapy Scientific  
/ kē′mō-thĕr′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 Cultural  

  1. 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.

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

  • chemotherapist noun

Etymology

Origin of chemotherapy

First recorded in 1905–10; chemo- + therapy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In an update to her social media on Friday, she said had completed chemotherapy: "Seems I'm not dead... So, phew, big relief."

From BBC

Kutler found herself watching the newly rechristened MS NOW on a TV in a hospital room as she received chemotherapy treatments every few weeks.

From Los Angeles Times

Her treatment plan included chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant to replace the cancerous cells destroyed by treatment with healthy stem cells.

From BBC

As a result, ICE for months has been unable to reimburse health care officials, including for prescription medication, dialysis and chemotherapy, according to redacted ICE documents first reported by Popular Information.

From Salon

They deemed the operation a success, and six months of chemotherapy began in February.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.