22 - Chemotherapy Flashcards
The aim of cancer chemotherapy is the…
Selective killing of cancer cells
Cancer arises from an imbalance between…
Cell death and cell division
Metastases
Spreading of cancer
Two-hit hypothesis
Cancer cells develop due to mutations affecting critical regulatory genes (which proliferate) and another mutation increasing cell survivability.
Risk of prostate cancer increases with…
Age
The goal of systemic therapy is to prevent…
Metastasis/ spread to vital organs
Nitrogen mustard is an anti-cancer agent developed from mustard gas still in use today. It is also known as…
Mechlorethamine
Other than mechlorethamine other cytotoxic drugs often work by damaging…
DNA
Carboplatin is a newer less toxic form of cisplatin, based on platinum it works by…
Cross-links DNA which block replication
(chloride ions dissociate leaving positively charged region which binds to DNA)
The downsides of cisplatin are…
- It is non-specific
- Causes kidney & nerve damage
- Low theraputic index (toxic dose v. close to optimal dose)
Give 2 examples of natural products which are used as cytotoxic anticancer drugs…
-
May Apple
- Glycoside derivatives
-
Daunorubicin
- Derived from streptomyces cultures
- Blocks topoisomerase leading to tangling of DNA
How can cytotoxic drugs engage in selective killing of cancer cells?
- Cancer cells have higher replication rate than most cells
- Exceptions for GI, hair cells (hence side effects)
- Some cancer cells are more sensitive to DNA damage
There are 350 cases of childhood leukemia a year in the UK. The treatment is multi-drug and lasts…
2-3 years
Which gene mutation is associated with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)?
Philedelphia chromosome translocation (resulting in new hybrid BCR-Abl gene)
Imatinib is a drug used to treat CML. It inhibits the abnormal protein kinases generated by the…
hybrid BCR-Abl gene
Poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (i.e. Rubraca) work by…
Blocking PARP1, preventing DNA repair
