What term describes when one chemotherapy drug enhances the effectiveness of another?

The term that describes when one chemotherapy drug enhances the effectiveness of another is synergy. In the context of chemotherapy, synergy refers to the situation where two or more drugs work together in such a way that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. This can lead to improved outcomes for patients, as using synergistic drugs may enhance the therapeutic efficacy, reduce drug resistance, and potentially allow for lower doses of each drug, minimizing side effects.

In contrast, co-administration refers to the simultaneous administration of multiple drugs but does not necessarily imply that they enhance each other's effects. Adjuvant therapy refers to additional treatment given after the primary treatment to lower the risk of the cancer returning, and sequential therapy involves administering different treatments one after another rather than simultaneously. While these concepts are important in oncology, they do not capture the specific interaction of drugs where their combined action leads to an enhanced therapeutic effect, which is the essence of synergy.