Cancer Chemotherapy Overview - Ch 101-103 Flashcards
What is Cancer?
- Cellular transformation (loss of function)
- Uncontrolled and/or rapid cellular growth
- Invasion into surrounding tissue
- Metastasis to other tissues or organs
-by blood or lymphatic system
Where can cancer develop?
Virtually any of the bodyβs tissues
-Categorized by organ origin or original cell type
What contribute to cancer development?
Hereditary and environmental factors
Neoplasm
βnew Tissueβ
Mass of new cells; tumour
Benign
NON-cancerous
=Non-invasive + non-metastatic
Malignant
Cancer
-Malignant neoplasm
Primary lesion
Original site of growth
Matastasis
Secondary lesion in a new, remote part of the body
How does Chemotherapy kill cells?
Affects cell division/growth
-Not on loss of function, invasiveness or metastasis
What kind of therapeutic index do chemotherapy drugs have?
Narrow therapeutic index
-ratio between concentration of drug that has
toxic effect and therapeutic effect is small
What may develop with chemotherapy?
Drug resistance
What are some Cytotoxic chemotherapy drug groups?
Alkylating agents and platinum compoud
Antimetabolite drugs
Antitumour antibiotics
How are alkylating agents and platinum compounds cytotoxic?
Drugs form chemical bonds to DNA thus prevent DNA replication and cause cell death
How are antimetabolite drugs cytotoxic?
Prevent synthesis of metabolites required for growth
How are antitumour antibiotics (not for infections) cytotoxic?
Distort DNA structure