Cancer Chemotherapy Overview (101,102,103)

Question 1

Neoplasm

Answer 1

Mass of new cells, tumour

Question 2

Tumour—> benign

Answer 2

Non cancerous, non invasive, non metastatic

Question 3

Tumour —> malignant

Answer 3

Malignant neoplasm, cancer

Question 4

Primary lesion

Answer 4

Original site of growth

Question 5

Metastasis

Answer 5

Secondary lesion, in a new and remote part of the body

Question 6

Cancer chemotherapy affects..

Answer 6

Cell division and growth

Question 7

Cancer chemotherapy does not affect

Answer 7

Loss of function, invasivenss, metastasis

Question 8

Chemotherapy therapeutic index is

Answer 8

Many drugs have a narrow therapeutic index
-ratio between toxic effect and therapeutic effect is small

Question 9

Chemotherapy is more effective when

Answer 9

Combined versus single drug therapy

Question 10

What do alkylating agents and platinum compounds do?

Answer 10

Drug forms chemical bond to DNA, thus prevents DNA replication and causes cell death
-cytotoxic drug group

Question 11

What do Antimetabolite drugs do?

Answer 11

Prevent synthesis of metabolites required for growth
-cytotoxic

Question 12

What do antitumour antibiotics do?

Answer 12

Distort DNA structure
-cytotoxic

Question 13

Are antitumour antibodies used for infections?

Answer 13

No they are not

Question 14

Cytotoxic drugs are harmful

Answer 14

To all dividing cells
-including cancerous cells
-but also healthy, normal cells

Question 15

Examples of healthy cells destroyed by cytotoxic drugs

Answer 15

-hair follicles
-GI tract cells
-bone marrow cells

Question 16

Nearly all cytotoxic drugs cause significant adverse effects such as..

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Since chemotherapy is dose limited due to prevention of adverse effects, so what is the solution to this?

Answer 17

Using multiple drug therapy to avoid drug resistance and for increased effectiveness

Question 18

Other drugs used in cancer treatment are not referred to ask

Answer 18

Cancer chemotherapy

Question 19

Other drugs for cancer treatment

Answer 19

-hormones, or hormone antagonists
-biological response modifiers
-targeted drugs
-surgery
-radiation
-a combination

Question 20

Targeted drugs

Answer 20

Bind to cancer promoting molecules

Question 21

Radiation therapy

Answer 21

High energy radiation damages cancer cell DNA = cell death

Question 22

Two types of radiation therapy’s

Answer 22

-external radiation beam source
-internal source implanted into/near cancer