chemotherapy

chemotherapy — noun

1. a treatment for cancer that uses strong drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually g

1.nounB2
Definition

a treatment for cancer that uses strong drugs to destroy cancer cells, usually given through a drip into a vein

Example

Theo began chemotherapy in March after doctors found a tumour in his lung.

collocation: begin + chemotherapy

Aiko felt very tired during her chemotherapy sessions at the hospital.

preposition: during + chemotherapy sessions

Common collocations
  • undergo chemotherapy
  • receive chemotherapy
  • chemotherapy session
  • chemotherapy drugs
  • chemotherapy ward
  • chemotherapy patient
  • round of chemotherapy
  • course of chemotherapy
  • resistant to chemotherapy
  • chemotherapy-related side effects
Synonyms
  • chemo

    informal short form, very common in spoken English and among patients

  • cancer treatment

    broader term that includes surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy, not just drug therapy

  • drug therapy

    more general term for any disease treated with pharmaceutical drugs

Grammar Patterns

undergo + chemotherapy

receive + chemotherapy

chemotherapy + for + [cancer type]

Usage Note

Almost always used for cancer treatment in modern English, though the literal meaning is broader. Typically uncountable; use a course of, a round of, or a session of to refer to individual instances.

Common Mistakes

I had a chemotherapy yesterday.
I had chemotherapy yesterday.
chemotherapy is uncountable; use 'a session of chemotherapy' or 'a round of chemotherapy' if you need to count.
The doctor gave me chemotherapy for my sore throat.
The doctor gave me antibiotics for my sore throat.
chemotherapy is used for cancer, not for common infections.

Word family

  • chemo
    nounB2
  • chemotherapeutic
    adjectiveC1
  • chemotherapist
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Chemotherapy refers specifically to drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells and is the most traditional medical term. Chemo is the informal short form used by patients, doctors, and in everyday conversation — it means the same thing but sounds less clinical. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays rather than drugs to destroy cancer cells and targets a specific area rather than the whole body. Immunotherapy helps the body's own immune system fight cancer and works differently from chemotherapy's direct cell-killing approach. Cancer treatment is the broadest term and covers chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, and other approaches. For example: 'My aunt's cancer treatment includes both chemotherapy and radiation therapy.'

chemotherapy ↗chemoradiation therapy ↗immunotherapycancer treatment

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chemotherapy patient
  • chemotherapy drug
  • chemotherapy session
  • chemotherapy room
  • chemotherapy side effect

Phrases

  • course of chemotherapy
  • round of chemotherapy
  • cycle of chemotherapy
  • chemotherapy treatment plan

Prepositions

  • chemotherapy for [cancer type]
  • chemotherapy at [hospital/clinic]
  • during chemotherapy
  • after chemotherapy
  • chemotherapy without [drug name]

Etymology

GreekGermanEnglish

The word chemotherapy was coined around 1906 by the German scientist Paul Ehrlich. It combines chemo- (relating to chemicals, from Greek khemeia, meaning alchemy or transmutation) and therapy (medical treatment, from Greek therapeia, meaning healing or caring for the sick). Ehrlich used it to describe the use of chemical substances to treat diseases, which was a new idea at the time.