Cancer Chemotherapy Flashcards
Most common types of cancer?
Breast, prostate, lung, colon, melanoma, lymphoma
Most common lung cancer deaths?
Lung, colon, pancreas, breast, prostate, liver
What is cancer?
Disease caused by accumulated mutations (nucleotide substitutions that change amino acid sequence and subsequent protein structure/function)
Progression from mutation to cancer?
Nucleotide mutation/substitution –> changes nucleotide sequence –> amino acids sequence changes –> protein structure & function could change –> altered cell growth –> cancer may develop
Mutations in cancer cells give them growth advantages over normal cells and enable cancer cells to do what?
Use body resources better than normal cells to grow, form tumors, and invade other tissues
Causes of cancer?
DNA susceptible to change (mutation, evolution), exposure to chemicals/radiation promotes mutations
Most DNA mutations are harmless and cause what?
Immediate cell death and no harm to pts
Mutations that occur in which parts of DNA can lead to altered cell growth/cause cancer?
Tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes
What are proto-oncogenes?
Sections of DNA that encode for genes used to make specific proteins vital to promote cell growth (kinases, cell surface R’s, regulators of apoptosis)
Mutations of proto-oncogenes cause what?
Oncogenes that overstimulate cells to grow/can lead to development of highly abnormal cell growth and development of cancer
Mutations in which parts of DNA do not lead to cancer?
Filler sequences or genes not related to growth
What are tumor suppressor genes?
Special genes in DNA for proteins which regulate cell growth (serve as mechanism to prevent over stimulating cell growth)
Mutations in tumor suppressor genes remove what?
Regulation of cell growth and may lead to excessive cell growth/development of cancer
Difference between mutation of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes?
Proto-ocogenes: overstimulation of cells to grow
Tumor suppressor genes: No limits/regulation of cell growth
Solid tumors affect what?
Organs and other solid tissues
What are solid tumors are specified by what?
Origin of cell type: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, etc.
Hematologic malignancies affect what?
Blood cells (leukemia, lymphoma, hodgkin disease, myeloma)
What is a primary tumor?
Original mass of cancer cells of a solid tumor in a body organ
Metastasis could be as individual cells or what?
New tumor sites
Stages used to classify solid tumors?
I-IV
Stages used to classify hematologic malignancies?
I-IV or something else, unique staging methods
Localized therapies for cancer?
Surgery, radiation
Systemic therapies for cancer?
Chemotherapy: traditional, monoclonal antibodies, targeting agents
Immunomodulation therapy for cancer?
Stem cell (bone marrow) transplant, immunosuppressive, immunotherapy, or immunostimulatory agents, CAR-T cell therapy
Surgery goals are dependent upon what?
Size, location, type of tumor
Can surgery be used for hematologic cancers?
No
Is surgery usually used along with other therapy or alone?
With other therapy
Is radiation usually used along with other therapy or alone?
May be used alone or with surgery and/or chemo
What does radiation involve?
Exposing the patient to ionizing radiation using high energy photon beams
Radiation is similar to energy used in x-rays, but with what?
Higher amounts, longer duration, and repeated doses
Typical sources of radiation therapy?
External beam using cobalt or cesium
Radioactive energy effects on the body?
Electrically charged particles destroy cancer cells and stop them from growing, but may also cause damage to neighboring tissues
What does chemo involve?
Use of drugs with various mechanisms of action that disrupt cancer cell function
How is chemo administered?
Typically IV or PO
Exposing chemo drugs to both cancerous and normal cells results in what?
Significant side effects
Do cancer cells follow the cell cycle like normal cells?
Yes, interruption of this cycle can slow/stop tumor growth
Based on knowing that cells need certain molecules to grow, scientists synthesized what to block growth pathways of cancer cells?
false analogs (aka antagonists) of vitamins like folic acid
Traditional chemotherapy typically targets which mechanics of cell division?
DNA, RNA, DNA polymerase, topoisomerases, spindle fiber formation, etc.
Examples of traditional chemo?
Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Etoposide, Cisplatin, Methotrexate, Paclitaxel, Fluorouracil, etc.
What do newer chemo drugs target?
Specific proteins (enzymes, receptors, ligands) required for various cell functions such as growth or apoptosis but are mutated in some way
What are newer chemo drugs based on?
Identifying mutated proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes
Targeted chemo drug classes?
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), Conjugated monoclonal antibodies, Monoclonal antibodies, Immune checkpoint inhibitors
Mechanism of action method for chemo?
Various cancer susceptible to drugs w/ differing MOAs –> giving combos of drugs takes advantage of multiple MOAs to kill cancer cells in different ways
What are the principles of identifying drug combos with chemo?
-Efficacy (each drug in a regimen needs anticancer activity when used alone)
-Toxicity (select drugs to minimize overlap of toxicities)
-Optimum scheduling (each drug given in convenient intervals to maximize activity)
-MOA (differing MOAs help overwhelm cells ability to develop resistance)
Timing (relative to local tx) and intent importance in chemo?
Local therapy (surgery, radiation) used as primary tx
–> neoadjuvant vs adjuvant chemo
What is neoadjuvant chemo?
used before local therapy to reduce tumor/improve local tx success
What is adjuvant chemo?
used after to improve long term effect/eliminate remaining undetected cancer cells
Is chemo dose dependent?
Typically, yes
(higher doses kill more cells)
Higher doses of chemo kill more cells, yet cause more what?
Side effects
What helps determine the “safe doses” of meds for chemo in regards to side effects?
Dose limiting toxicities of chemo
What is log cell kill kinetics?
A given treatment will kill a constant fraction of cells & subsequent doses reduce cancer burden proportionally over time
*explains why chemo is given as repeated doses over time & not just one dose
What is dose density?
Amount of drug/unit of time
–>giving repeated doses of multiple chemo agents over period of time aka chemo cycles (give same drgs once q1-4wks)
Regular exposure to chemo (dose density) provides what?
A wave-like approach to killing cancer cells over time
*percentage killed each time pt gets dose of chemo aka log cell kinetics
*time between doses limits side effects/allows body to recover before next dose
Maintaining dose density (avoiding pauses and delays or dose redcutions) is what?
Desired, but not always possible
What does the term “cure” refer to?
A sustained/prolonged cancer free period (usually 5 years)
What does the term “control” refer to?
Reduce cancer burden, prevent extension of cancer, extend survival (cure unlikely)
What does the term “palliation” refer to?
Reduce sx, improve quality of life, prolong survival (cure not likely)
What does the term “Remission/complete response (CR)” refer to?
Unable to detect presence of cancer
What does the term “partial response (PR)” refer to?
Reduction of tumor burden but cancer still present
What does the term “stable response” refer to?
Tumor still present but has not grown or shrunk
What does the term “treatment failure/progressive disease (PD)” refer to?
Cancer continues to grow despite tx
Goal of cancer as chronic disease?
Improve/maintain quality of life and extend survival with drugs to control cancer but nor necessarily cure it
Cancer as chronic disease tx avoids what? What does this lead to?
Need to provide overly aggressive/toxic drugs, leads to larger population of patients living w/ cancer w/ different needs
Why is cancer as chronic disease tx not used in all types of CA?
As cure is still possible in many situations
How to determine response cancer tx?
PE, Radiographs (XR, CT, MRI, PET), Tumor markers (measure conc. of proteins in blood indicating presence of CA/response to tx), Bx/blood tests for presence of cancer cells
What terms are used to describe cancers that have not responded to tx?
Refractory or resistant
What can more mutations within cancer cells (chemo resistance) result in?
Blocking chemo actions, blocking uptake of chemo into cells, facilitation of excessive transport of drugs back out of cells
Other reasons chemo would have lack of effect?
Drug interactions, food interactions, poor adherence
How can drug interactions lead to lack of effect of chemo?
(between chemo and non-chemo drugs) can increase metabolism /decrease chemo conc. in patients body
Reasons for food interactions leading to lack of effect of chemo?
Specific directions may not be communicated (take w/ or w/o food)
Reasons for poor adherence leading to lack of effect of chemo?
Missed clinic appts, missing refills on rx, don’t take meds as prescribed
Salvage treatment option if primary tx is unsuccessful?
Using combos of other chemo drugs (2nd line, 3rd line, 4th line)
Stem cell transplant (bone marrow) treatment option if primary tx is unsuccessful?
Autologous SCT: high dose chemo followed by re-infusion of pt’s stem cells
Allogenic SCT: chemo + immune modulation + infusion of donor stem cells
Other treatment options if primary tx is unsuccessful?
CAR-T cell therapy or investigational therapies (clinical trials)
Older chemo agents use various mechanisms to block what?
Cell division w/ limited discrimination between cancer and normal cells
Newer chemo agents target specific functions of cancer cells yet still have what?
Significant side effects (some are serious but rare)
What functions can be targets of chemo?
DNA/RNA components, Topoisomerases, Mechanics of division (spindle fibers), Enzymes required for making nucleotides (thymide synthase, dihydrofolate reductase), DNA polymerase, Ribonucleotide reductase, Tyrosine kinases, GF receptors
MOA of alkylating agents?
Group of molecules that transfer alkyl group to other molecules and disrupts cancer DNA structure by altering molecular interactions/prevents use of DNA as blueprint for cell division
What groups of DNA do alkylating agents target?
sulfydryl, amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, phosphate groups of DNA
Are alkylating agents cell cycle specific?
NO, cell cycle non-specific
Examples of alkylating agents?
Carmustine, Lomustine, Mechlorethamine, Melphalan, Thiotepa, Procarbazine, Chlorambucil, Cyclophosphamide, Bendamustine, Temozolomide, Dacarbazine
Members of the alkylating agents vary by what?
Structure and family, but have same general MOA
Cyclophosphamide (alkylating agent) is used in combo regimens for which cancers?
Breast, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, etc.
Melphalan (alkylating agent) is used in combo regimens for which cancer?
Myeloma
Procarbazine (alkylating agent) is used in combo regimens for which cancer?
Lymphoma
Common adverse effects of alkylating agents?
Myelosuppression, Mucositis, Sterility (usually temporary but can be prolonged), N/V, tissue damage following extravasation, risk of secondary malignancy
Examples of platinum analogs?
Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Oxaliplatin “-platin”
MOA of platinum analogs?
Similar to alkylating agents by binding DNA/forming intra- and inter- crosslinks, also bind to cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins required for cell function
Cisplatin and Carboplatin (platinum analogs) are used for which cancers?
Lung, esophagus, testicular, ovary, head & neck, bladder
Oxaliplatin (platinum analog) is used for what cancers?
Colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic
Adverse effects of Cisplatin (platinum analog)?
Renal toxicity (inc. serum Cr, electrolyte wasting: K, Mg), anemia, N/V, ototoxicity
Adverse effects of Carboplatin (platinum analog)?
Avoids major toxicities of cisplatin but causes myelosuppression
Adverse effects of Oxaliplatin (platinum analog)?
Neurotoxicity (peripheral neuropathy), myelosuppression, diarrhea
What are false analogs (antimetabolites)?
Molecules from nature or lab that substitute for actual components of metabolic processes based on similar (but slightly different) structure
General MOA of false analogs (antimetabolites)?
Involve themselves like the actual molecule and inhibit normal cell processes that produce component of DNA (sometimes based on structure of vitamins required for enzymatic activity)
Many early chemo drugs were of which class?
Antimetabolites
Examples of antimetabolites?
Methotrexate, Capecitabine, 5-Fluorouracil, Cytarabine, Gemcitabine, Fludarabine, 6-Mercaptupurine
MOA of Methotrexate (antimetabolite)?
Inhibits DHFR (converts one form of folic acid to another, blocks purine synthesis), also inhibits TS
MOA of Capecitabine and 5-FU (antimetabolite)?
Inhibits TS, blocks incorporation of FUTP into RNA and dFUTP into DNA (blocking formation of RNA and DNA)
MOA of Cytarabine (antimetabolite)?
Mimics cytidine and inhibits DNA polymerase and DNA repair, prevents DNA chain elongation
MOA of Gemcitabine (antimetabolite)?
Inhibits ribonucleotide reductase, preventing production of deoxytriphosphates for DNA synthesis, inhibits DNA polymerase blocking DNA synthesis and repair
MOA of Fludarabine (antimetabolite)?
Inhibits DNA polymerase that blocks DNA synthesis and repair, inhibits ribonucleotide reductase preventing production of deoxytriphosphates for DNA synthesis
MOA of 6-MP (antimetabolite)?
Inhibits multiple enzymes that synthesize purine nucleotides
Methotrexate (antimetabolite) is used for which cancers?
Leukemia, lymphoma, breast, RA
Pemetrexed (antimetabolite) is used for which cancer?
Lung