Levoleucovorin

Levoleucovorin (pronounced as levo-leuco-vorin) is a chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of cancer. It is a derivative of the B-vitamin folic acid and is used to reduce the side effects of high-dose methotrexate treatment in patients with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. It is also used in combination with fluorouracil, a type of chemotherapy drug, to treat patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Etymology

The term "Levoleucovorin" is derived from the Latin "levo" meaning left, "leuco" meaning white, and "vorin" which is a suffix commonly used in drug nomenclature. The "levo" refers to the specific isomer of the drug that is used, which is the left-handed or "levo" isomer. The "leuco" refers to the fact that this drug is a reduced form of folic acid, and "vorin" is a common suffix used in the names of chemotherapy drugs.

Related Terms

Chemotherapy: A type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Folic Acid: A type of B vitamin that is important for many processes in the body.
Methotrexate: A chemotherapy drug that is used to treat many types of cancer.
Osteosarcoma: A type of bone cancer that often affects children and young adults.
Colorectal Cancer: A type of cancer that starts in the colon or rectum.
Fluorouracil: A chemotherapy drug that is used to treat various types of cancer.