Anti Cancer

Question 1

Some drugs are cell cycle specific whereas others work in any part of the cell cycle.

Cycle Non-specific:

Answer 1

alkylating agents, nitrosoureas, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, platins

Question 2

Cycle specific:

Answer 2

S phase - antibiotics, nucleoside analogs, folic acid antagonists, camptothecin analogs
M phase – microtubule inhibitors, podophyllotoxins, vinca alkaloids

Question 3

Phase non-specific

Answer 3

Alkaliting drugs, nitrosoureas, antitumor antibodies, procarbazine, cisplastin, dacarbazine

Question 4

M phase specific

Answer 4

Vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel

Question 5

S phase specific

Answer 5

Cytosine arabinoside hydroxyurea

Question 6

S phase specific self-limiting

Answer 6

6-mecaptopurine methotrexate

Question 7

Side effects of antineoplastic drugs

Answer 7

Most antineoplastic drugs are specific for fast growing cells. Side effects reflect damage to fast growing cells such as enterocytes, dermal and epidermal cells, bone marrow derived cells
Side effects shared by all antineoplastic agents include nausea, vomiting, stomatitis, alopecia, myelosuppression, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperuricemia. Pregnancy category X. Many agents are carcinogenic leading to leukemias.
Other specific side effects may be related to pharmacokinetics properties

Question 8

ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENTS

Answer 8

Effects on many antineoplastic drugs are dependent on dose given per unit time
Clinically detectable tumors are usually diagnosed when the cancer cell load exceeds 109 cells, but each cycle of therapy kills usually 2-3 log, so it is necessary to treat in multiple cycles
AUC is the area under the concentration-time curve which measures tissue exposure. This is affected by renal clearance (and metabolism) of the drug