Cancer II Flashcards
What is myelosuppression?
Suppressing of the bone marrow - white, red and platelets are reduced
How can you mitigate toxicity in certain cases?
E.g. leucovorin given with MTX
What are the properites of steroid hormone sensitive cancers?
Hormone-dependent
Hormone-responsive
Hormone removal
Give an example of an anti-estrogen drug?
Tamoxifen
What does tamoxifen do?
Competes with the natural hormone for the binding site on the receptor to form an inactive receptor complex
Why is there limited use with tamoxifen?
Potentially stimulates proliferation
How is tamoxifen administered?
Orally
What is tamoxifen used in conjunction with and when?
Pre-menopausal and leuprolide
What do aromatase inhibitors do?
Inhibit enzymes that produce peripheral synthesis of oestrogen in post-menopausal women - Oral and metabolised by the liver
What treats prostate cancer?
Flutamide, Nilutamide and bicalutimide (non-steroidal anti-androgens that bind with androgens to androgen receptors
How are prostate cancer drugs delivered and excreted?
Oral and urine
What inhibits BCL-ABL fusion protein and why?
Gleevec
It causes chromosome translocation in chronic myelogenous leukaemia
How is gleevec given and excreted?
Orally and faeces
What do nutlins do?
Bind to MDM2 to prevent it phosphorylating p53 allowing it to go and cause growth arrest or apoptosis
