Anti-Cancer Drugs Flashcards
Mechlorethamine
Action: Alkylation and cross-liinking of DNA.
Toxicity: BM suppression; male sterility; amenorrhea.
Cyclophosphamide
Action: Alkylation and cross-liinking of DNA.
Toxicity: BM suppression; male sterility; amenorrhea.
Other: Requires activation by P450 in liver = no extravascular necrosis.
Cisplatin
Action: Cross-linking of DNA.
Toxicity: BM suppression; renal tubular damage; neurotoxicity.
Bleomycin
Action: Catalyzes free radical formation and DNA destruction.
Toxicity: Pulmonary fibrosis; skin changes.
Actinomycin D
Action: Intercalates into DNA and blocks RNA and DNA synthesis.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Doxorubicin
Action: Topoisomerase II inhibitor.
Toxicity: BM suppression; cardiomyopathy.
Other drugs in class: Etoposide (drug list).
Picmonic: Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Irinotecan
Action: Topoisomerase I inhibitor.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Methotrexate
Action: DHFR inhibitor.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Picmonic: Methotrexate.
Fluorouracil (5-Fluorouracil)
Action: Inhibitor of thymidylate synthetase; misincorporated into RNA.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Cytosine arabinoside
Action: Inhibitor of DNA polymerase; misincorporated into DNA.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Hydroxyurea
Action: Inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase.
Toxcity: BM suppression.
6-Thioguanine
Action: Inhibitor of purine biosynthesis.
Toxicity: BM suppression.
Tamoxifen
Action: Hormone therapy; estrogen receptor antagonist.
Uses: Breast cancer.
Toxicity: Hot flashes; risk increase for endometrial CA; thromboembolic events.
Picmonic: Tamoxifen.
Leuprolide
Action: Hormone therapy; GnRH analog that causes GnRH receptor down regulation.
Uses: Prostate cancer; pre-menapausal breast cancer.
Toxicity: Hormone withdrawl.
Anastrozole
Action: Hormone therapy; CYP19 aromatase inhibitor; inhibits estrogen produciton.
Uses: Breast cancer in post-menapausal women.
Toxicity: Estrogen deficiency.
Picmonic: Aromatase Inhibitors.
Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
Action: Antibody therapy; binds to HER2 on cancer cells and stimulates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
Toxicity: Cardiac toxicity.
Bevacizumab
Action: Antibody therapy; inactivates VEGF; blocks angiogenesis.
Toxicity: Hypertension; GI perforation.
Asparaginase (L-asparaginase)
Action: Degrades asparagine in the circulation and starves tumor cells for this amino acid.
Toxicity: Hypersensitivity reactions.
Vinca alkaloids
Action: Interacts with tubulin and prevents microtubule polymerization.
Toxicity: BM suppression (vinblastine); peripheral neuropathy (vincristine).
Drugs in class: Vinblastine; vincristine.
Imatinib (Gleevec)
Action: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor; inhibits ABL.
Uses: CML; GIST.
Toxicity: Fluid retention.
Picmonic: Chronic Myologenous Leukemia.
Gefitnib
Action: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor; inhibits EGF-R.
Toxicity: Skin problems.
Vemurafenib
Action: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor; inhibits BRAF.
Uses: Melanoma.
Toxicity: Skin problems.
Allopurinol
Action: Xanthine oxidase inhibitor; prevents hyperuricemia.
Uses: Decrases toxicity of anti-cancer drugs.
Toxicity: Sensitivity reactions.
Picmonic: Gout Treatment.
Leucovorin
Action: Vitamer for folic acid.
Uses: Rescue from methotrexate toxicity.
Picmonic: see Methotrexate.
Filgrastim (G-CSF)
Action: Hematopoietic agent that stimulates neutrophil production.
Uses: Allows high dose chemotherapy with much less toxicity; reduced risk of infection.
