Definition

A medication used to treat certain types of cancer and blood disorders by reducing the production of blood cells in the bone marrow.

Example

The doctor prescribed hydroxyurea to help manage the patient's sickle cell anemia.

Conversation

Have you heard about the medication called hydroxyurea?

Yeah, I think it's used to treat certain types of cancer, right?

Exactly! It can also help with sickle cell anemia.

That's really interesting. I didn't know it had multiple uses!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hydroxyurea is formed from "hydroxy-" (from Greek "hydro", meaning water, and "oxy", meaning oxygen) and "urea" (from Latin "urea", meaning urine or a compound found in urine). The word refers to a compound that contains both hydroxyl (water) and urea components, indicating its chemical structure.

Memory Tip

Think of 'water' ('hydro') and 'urea', which is a compound found in urine. This helps you remember that hydroxyurea is a chemical compound that includes both water and urea.

Visually Confused Words