chemotherapy
Meaning
The treatment of disease, especially cancer, using chemical substances.
Structure
Usage
She underwent several rounds of chemotherapy after her diagnosis.
Newer forms of chemotherapy aim to reduce harmful side effects.
The oncologist discussed the chemotherapy schedule with the patient.
Etymology
The word chemotherapy is a modern scientific compound, directly assembled from Greek-derived elements in the early 20th century. The first element, 'chemo-', traces back to the Greek 'chēmeia', which referred to the art of transmutation and later evolved into 'chemistry', the science of substances. The second element, '-therapy', originates from the Greek 'therapeia', meaning 'healing' or 'attendance'. The term was coined specifically to describe a new medical approach: the use of specific chemical compounds to target and treat diseases, most notably cancer, thus logically combining the concepts of 'chemical agent' and 'curative treatment'.
Analysis
- chemo: Origin: Greek, from 'chēmeia' (alchemy, chemistry). Functional role: Combining form meaning 'chemical' or 'chemistry'. - therapy: Origin: Greek, from 'therapeia' (healing, service). Functional role: Noun-forming element meaning 'medical treatment'.