megestrol acetate

7.9

A man-made medicine like a female hormone that helps treat some cancers and increase appetite

noun
/məˈdʒɛstrəl ˈæsəˌteɪt/

Specialized

: acetato de megestrol

Some patients taking megestrol acetate have reported an improvement in appetite.

Examples

Megestrol acetate is often used as part of palliative care for certain types of cancer.
The doctor prescribed megestrol acetate for her cancer treatment.
The doctor prescribed megestrol acetate to help control the patient's cancer symptoms.
Patients taking megestrol acetate may experience weight gain.
Megestrol acetate is frequently prescribed to stimulate appetite in cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Many oncologists recommend megestrol acetate to aid in managing symptoms related to endometrial carcinoma.
Megestrol acetate can be an effective part of a palliative care plan for patients with certain types of cancer.

Synonyms

megestrol

vsmegestrol acetate

Specialized

9.3

A medicine made from a hormone that treats some cancers and helps people eat more

is the more specific progestational type rather than a general hormonal drug

Surface Forms

megestrol acetate singular

megestrol acetates plural

Morphology

megestrol + acetate

The term is compositionally formed from 'megestrol' (a hormonal medication) + 'acetate' (a salt/ester), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it is the acetate (chemical) form of the drug — i.e., a medication. This chemical-naming pattern is systematic and cross-linguistically common, making the basic meaning derivable from the parts (though specific clinical indications require extra medical knowledge).

Etymology

Megestrol acetate comes from two parts: megestrol, which uses 'gest-' as in 'gestation' meaning pregnancy to show it acts like a pregnancy 'hormone', and acetate, a common chemical ending that names the drug form. So the name points to a medicine that works like a pregnancy 'hormone' and is used to treat some cancers and to help patients eat more.