In pharmacology, an adjuvant is a drug or other substance, or a combination of substances, that is used to increase the efficacy or potency of certain drugs. Specifically, the term can refer to: Adjuvant therapy in cancer management Analgesic adjuvant in pain management Immunologic adjuvant in vaccines This is a specialized usage of a word (derived from the Latin verb "adjuvare", to help), which also has a more general meaning as someone or something assisting in any operation or effect. Adjuvants