9 Anticancer drugs

Question 1

What is log-kill hypothesis

Answer 1

Cytotoxic actions of anticancer drugs follow first-order kinetics:
They kill a fixed percentage of tumor cells, not a fixed number > rationale for drug combination and multiple rounds of chemo

Question 2

What is Growth fraction in cytotoxic therapy

Answer 2

drugs are more effective against tumors that have a high growth fraction > Normal cells with high growth fraction (e.g., bone marrow, Hair, GI Tracts) are also more sensitive

Question 3

What does cell-cycle specific (CCS) drug means

Answer 3

Drugs that act specifically on phases of the cell cycle and are more effective in tumors with high-growth fraction (leukemias, lymphomas)

Question 4

What does cell-cycle nonspecific drug means

Answer 4

Drugs that can be used(many bind to and damage DNA) in tumors with low-growth fraction, as well as tumors with high-growth fraction
Independent of phase > even in G0

Question 5

Name some of the S phase Specific anticancer drugs

Answer 5

Cytarabine
6-mercaptopurine
6-thioguanine
5-fluorouracil
Methotrexate
Hydroxyurea 
Irinotecan
Etoposide

Question 6

How do Cytarabine, 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, 5-fluorouracil work as an anticancer agent

Answer 6

They are antimetabolites (looks like some metabolic products in our body: Inhibit DNA synthesis
Cytarabine: Cytosine  derivatives
6-mercaptopurine: Purine  derivatives
6-thioguanine: Guanine  derivatives
5-fluorouracil: uracil derivatives

Question 7

How does Methotrexate work as an anticancer agent

Answer 7

dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor

impair DNA replication

Question 8

How do Irinotecan and Etoposide work as an anticancer agent

Answer 8

Irinotecan: blocks topoisomerase I
Etoposide: blocks topoisomerase II

Question 9

Name some of the G2 phase Specific anticancer drugs

Answer 9

Bleomycin: anticancer antibiotic

Question 10

Name some of the M phase Specific anticancer drugs

Answer 10

vinblastine
vincristine
paclitaxel

Question 11

How do vinblastine and vincristine work as an anticancer agent

Answer 11

Blocks tubular polymerization

Question 12

How does paclitaxel work as an anticancer agent

Answer 12

Blocks depolymerization of microtubules

Question 13

Name some of the G0 phase Specific anticancer drugs

cell cycle nonspecific

Answer 13

alkylating agents
antitumor antibiotics
nitrosoureas

Question 14

Name some of Alkylating agents

Answer 14

cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, procarbazine

Question 15

Name some of antitumor antibiotics that works in G0

Answer 15

doxorubicin, daunorbicin

Question 16

Name some of nitrosoureas and their utility

Answer 16

Iomustine, carmustine

Very effective for many types of brain cancer including Glioblastomas