busulfan

[byoo-suhl-fuhn]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a potent cytotoxic substance, C 6 H 14 O 6 S 2 , used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of busulfan¹

1955–60; bu(tanediol dimethane) sulf(onate) its chemical name + -an perhaps originally variant of -ane

Example Sentences

But there is also the likelihood that both cancers were caused by a powerful drug, busulfan, which is used to clear bone marrow in order to make space for new cells modified by gene therapy.

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Busulfan is known to confer a blood cancer risk, Dr. Tisdale noted.

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If not, then busulfan is the likely culprit.

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An examination found it was caused by busulfan.

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Before the cells are replaced, participants are typically treated with a chemotherapy called busulfan to destroy the remaining diseased stem cells and help the reintroduced, genetically altered cells to take over.

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