Antineoplastics I: General Concepts - Fitz Flashcards
Define Differential Sesitivity
Eradicating cancer cells without affecting normal tissue
What classes of drugs are cell cycle specific?
Plant Alkaloids
Antimetabolites
What classes of drugs are cell cycle non-specific (CCNS)?
Alkylating Agents
Cross-Linking Agents
some Natural Products
What is the cell kill hypothesis?
Actions of CCS drugs follow first order kinetics = a given dose kills a constant PROPORTION of a tumor cell population (rather than a constant number of cells)
When does primary resistance occur?
When some inherent characteristic of the cancer cells prevents the drug from working
When does acquired resistance occur?
When cancer cells become resistant to the drug during treatment
When does multidrug resistance occur?
When tumor cells become cross-resistant to a wide range of chemically dissimilar agents after exposure to a single drug (typically natural product)
When are CCS drugs administered (to treat what types of cancer)?
Acute Leukemia
Agressive, high-grade lymphomas
Which factors affect the CHOICE of antineoplastic drug?
Cancer Factors: Growth Fraction, Type, Resistance
Patient Factors: Bone Marrow Capacity, Liver and Kidney Function
Which types of drugs are more likely to kill a constant proportion of proliferating cells with each dose?
The Cell Kill Hypothesis works for Antimetabolites, Antimitotics, and Etoposide
What types of drugs have cytotoxic drug side effects (bone marrow suppression, N/V, dysgeusia, alopecia)?
Antimetabolites
Antimitotics
Crosslinking Agents
Intercalating Agents
Why do cancer cells become resistant to antineoplastic drugs?
1) Sanctuary Sites
2) Poor Distribution
3) Cells not in correct cell cycle phase
4) Innate Resistance
