In the German language the word Schmuck means jewelry, adornment. The etymology of the pejorative meaning is a matter of some disagreement. The lexicographer Michael Wex, author of How to Be a Mentsh (And Not a Shmuck), writes that the Yiddish term and the German term are completely unrelated.
A fundamental philosophy of medical oncology, including combination chemotherapy, is that different drugs work through different mechanisms, and that the results of using multiple drugs will be synergistic to some extent.
Chemotherapy is one option available to treat cancer patients. The types of medication used and how they are administered depends upon the patient's situation, the type of cancer, and the goal of cancer therapy. Chemotherapy options are individualized for each patient.