Cancer Drugs

Question 0

What is a notable side effect of alkylating agents?

Answer 0

Damage to bone marrow

Question 1

What does an “alkylating agent” do?

Answer 1

Alkylating agents are non-specific drugs that directly damage DNA to keep cancer cells from reproducing

Question 2

What are “antimetabolities”?

Answer 2

Anti-metabolities are a class a cancer drug that substitute themselves for the normal building blocks of RNA and DNA.

Question 3

Are anti-metabolities phase-specific?

Answer 3

Yes; they damage cells in the “S” phase

Question 4

What are anti-thracylines?

Answer 4

Anti-thracylines are anti-tumor antibiotics that interfere with enzymes involved in DNA replication

Question 5

What is a serious potential side effect of anti-thracylines?

Answer 5

Permanent heart damage

Question 6

Which cancer drug frequently is given a “lifetime dose limit”?

Answer 6

Anti-thracylines; anti tumor antibiotics–because of possible cardiac toxicity

Question 7

Which cancer drug class increases the risk of getting a second cancer (AML)?

Answer 7

Topoisomerase II inhibitors

Question 8

What are Topoisomerase inhibitors?

Answer 8

They are a class of cancer drugs that interfere with Topoisomerase enzymes–which separate strands of DNA for replication