cancer

Question 1

what is chemotherapy

Answer 1

drugs given to kill target cells

Question 2

neoplasm

Answer 2

• new tissue
• mass of new cells (tumour)

Question 3

tumour

Answer 3

• benign (non-cancerous, non-invasive, non-metastatic)
• malignant (cancer)

Question 4

primary lesion

Answer 4

original site of growth

Question 5

metastasis

Answer 5

secondary lesion in new part of body

Question 6

indications of cancer

Answer 6

• cellular transformation (loss of function)
• uncontrolled/rapid cellular growth
• invasion into surrounding tissue
• metastasis (blood or lymph)

Question 7

cancer chemotherapy mechanism of action

Answer 7

• effect cell/division and growth
• kill cancer cells

Question 8

is cancer chemotherapy a narrow or wide therapeutic index

Answer 8

narrow therapeutic index: small window between toxic and therapeutic effect

Question 9

cytotoxic drug groups

Answer 9

• alkylating agents and platinum compounds
• antimetabolite drugs
• antitumor antibiotics

Question 10

alkylating agents and platinum compounds

Answer 10

drugs form chemical bond to DNA, stop DNA replication, cell death

Question 11

antimetabolite drugs

Answer 11

prevent synthesis of metabolites required for growth

Question 12

antitumour antibiotics

Answer 12

distort dna structure

Question 13

what are cytotoxic drugs

Answer 13

harmful to all dividing cells
- cancerous cells
- healthy cells (hair follicles, GI tract cells, bone marrow cells)

Question 14

adverse effects

Answer 14

• vomiting and nausea
• diarrhea and oral ulcers (GI mucosa damage)
• bone marrow suppression (infection risk, bleeding risk, anemia)