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Medicine vocabulary · Treatments and Procedures

Chemotherapy

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌkiːmoʊˈθerəpi/nounCommon term

In medicine, chemotherapy means: Treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them dividing, usually given in cycles with rest periods in between.

In Turkish: kemoterapi

How it is used

Often shortened to 'chemo'. Oncologists talk about cycles, regimens, and adjuvant (after surgery) or neoadjuvant (before surgery) chemotherapy. Common side effects include nausea, hair loss, tiredness and a low white cell count, which raises the risk of infection.

Example sentences

  1. She's halfway through her chemotherapy and coping well.

  2. Any patient on chemotherapy who develops a fever needs urgent assessment for neutropenic sepsis.

Common collocations

  • have chemotherapy
  • cycle of chemotherapy
  • adjuvant chemotherapy
  • chemotherapy regimen
  • side effects of chemotherapy
  • cancerA disease in which abnormal cells grow out of control, can destroy nearby tissue and may spread to other parts of the body.
  • metastasisThe spread of cancer cells from where they first grew to another part of the body; also a new tumor formed in this way.
  • remissionA period when the signs and symptoms of a disease, such as cancer or an inflammatory condition, have reduced or disappeared.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • palliative careCare that aims to relieve pain and other symptoms and improve quality of life for people with a serious illness that cannot be cured.

More terms: Treatments and Procedures

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.