mithramycin

9.9

A medicine used to treat some types of cancer, especially testicular cancer

noun
/ˌmɪθrəˈmaɪsɪn/

Specialized

: mithramicina

Doctors often prescribe mithramycin for testicular cancer.

Examples

Because of potential side effects, mithramycin is administered under close medical supervision.
Mithramycin is prescribed in cases where other cancer treatments have failed.
The oncologist explained that mithramycin might be used for testicular cancer.
The mithramycin treatment was successful in many cases.
The oncologist explained that mithramycin is an effective treatment for testicular cancer.
Mithramycin can be used when patients do not respond to standard cancer therapies.
For certain types of cancer, especially of the testes, mithramycin may be prescribed.

Synonyms

cancer drug

vsmithramycin

Specialized

11 3.2

A medicine that treats cancer by killing or stopping cancer cells

is a specific antineoplastic agent used for certain testis cancers

Mithracin

vsmithramycin

Archaic

9.9

A drug once used to treat testicular cancer

is the generic antineoplastic drug used for certain testis cancers

antineoplastic antibiotic

vsmithramycin

Specialized

6.8

A medicine used to treat cancer that stops cancer cells from growing

is a broader antineoplastic drug not limited to antibiotic class

Surface Forms

mithramycin singular

mithramycins plural

Morphology

mithramycin = Mithra (opaque) = mithra + mycin

The element '-mycin' marks a class of drugs, but the name is a technical trade/chemical name and its meaning cannot be derived by average learners from 'Mithra' + '-mycin'.

Etymology

Mithramycin ends with -mycin, a common drug ending that comes from an old word for 'fungus' and shows the medicine was made from a microbe. The first part mithra- is the special name scientists gave this compound, so mithramycin is a natural, antibiotic-style medicine made from bacteria and used to treat some cancers.