Cancer Pharmacology Flashcards
What Tx counteracts the myelosuppressive side-effects of cancer drugs?
Prophylactic administration of growth factors protect against myelosupression
Primary toxicity of cisplatin
nephrotoxicity
How to prevent methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity
Alkalinization of urine and leucovorin rescue
How to prevent cycloposphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis
Concomitant use of MESNA
What cancer drugs have a low or negligible myelosupressive mechanism?
Vincristine
Bleomycin
Cisplatin
Asparaginase
Trastuzumab
What cancer drugs can cause acoustic nerve damage?
Cisplatin/Carboplatin
How do chemotherapeutic drugs cause nasuea and vomiting?
Major receptors involved:
5-HT3 receptor
NK1 receptor
Dopamine receptor
Serotonin receptor antagonist used to Tx nausea
5-HT3 antagonist:
Ondanestron and granisetron
Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist to Tx nausea
NK-1 antagonist:
Aprepitant and fosaprepitant
Dopamine antagonist to Tx nausea
promethazine, prochlroperazine
Which pathway is activates the emetic response within 24 hours after initiation of chemotherapy
The peripheral pathway- acute chemotherapy-induced emesis
Mechlorethamine
Component of MOPP regimen for Hodgkin’s disease
Alkylating agent that is activated into its intermediate in body fluids
Given IV and can have pronounced vesicant activity and cuase extravasation, tissue necrosis, and sloughing
Nitrogen mustard
Chlorambucil
Indications:
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Hodgkin lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Given PO - alkylating compound with 70-100% bioavailability
US Boxed Warning: Bone marrow suppression
Cyclophosphamide
Clinical uses:
Leukemias/lymphomas and cancers of soft tissues and neuroblastoma
Also an immunosuppressant drug
Converted to active metabolite phosphoramide mustard by liver P450 - metabolites alkylate DNA
Given IV - no vesicant effects
Dose-limiting myelosuppression, hemorrhagic cystitis due to production of acrolein (risk can be decreased w/ use of 2-mercaptoethane-sulfonate [MESNA])
Cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary fibrosis, and excessive ADH secretion may occur
Cisplatin
Kills cells in all stages of the cell cycle inhibits DNA biosynthesis, and binds DNA through the formation of interstrand cross-links
Inside cell - drug is converted to positively charged intermediate that binds DNA and forms both interstrand and intrastrand cross-links
Used in solid tumors (cancer of testis, ovary, bladder, lun, H&E, neuroblastoma, osteogenic sarcoma)
Cisplatin ADME
Given IV and cleared in unchanged form by kidneys
Toxicity:
Nephrotoxic (reduced by forceful hydration)
Neurotoxic (peripheral neuritis, acoustic nerve damage)
Myelosuppresssion, nausea and vomiting
Procarbazine
Prodrug converted to active intermediate that can cause DNA strand breaks due to formation of free radicals (inhibits DNA/RNA and protein synthesis - prolongs interphase, and produces chromosome breaks)
Used as component of the MOPP regimen
MOPP regimen
Mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone used to Tx Hodgkins disease
Used in combination w/ BEACOPP regimen
Nitrosoureas
Carmustine and lomustine
Undergo spontaneous degradation in body fluid w/ formation of metabolites that alkylate DNA (do not cause cross-resistance w/ other alkylating agents)
Carmustine is highly lipohilic and can easily enter brain
Neurotoxicity and hepatoxic
Used in brain tumors
Can also cause pulmonary toxicity
Mechanism of drug resistance to cytotoxic Abx’s
Increased production of glycoprotein P-170 which leads to an increased efflux of the drug from tumor cells
Enhanced rates of DNA repair
Anthracyclines
Doxorubicin and Daunorubicin
Fx:
1. intercalate between DNA bps
2. Inhibit topoisomerase II
3. Generate free radicals which can oxidize DNA bases
Tox:
Severe cardiomyopathy - acute form w/i 2-3 days after beginning regimen (dexrazoxane - chelates iron - can reduce cardiac damage)
Doxorubicin
Clinical use
aka Adriamycin
Component of the ABVD regimen for Hodgkin’s disease; also used in many solid tumors
Anthracycline
ABVD = doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (originally developed for Pt’s w/ disease resistant to MOPP)
ABVD Regimen
ABVD = doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (originally developed for Pt’s w/ disease resistant to MOPP)
Regimen for Hodgkin’s disease and also used in many solid tumors
Dactinomycin
Antitumor Abx isolated from Streptomyces - binds tightly to dsDNA through intercalation between adjacent guanine-cytosine bps and inhibits all forms of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis
Clinical use:
Mainly to Tx pediatric tumors such as Wilm’s tumor (affects kidneys)
Daunorubicin
Used in acute myelogenous leukemia
Anthracycline
Bleomycin
CCS drug that acts in the G2 phase of the cell cycle
Associated w/ pulmonary fibrosis in 2-3% of Pt’s
Clinical use:
ABVD regimen for Hodgkin’s disease - used in lymphomas, lung and testicular cancers
Acquired resistance to antimetabolite therapy
Methotrexate - decreased target receptor affinity
Mercaptopurine/thioguanine/cytarabine/fluorouracil - reduced activation of prodrugs
Mercaptopurine/fluorouracil/mehotrexate - decreased sensitivity of a target enzyme
Methotrexate
Competively inhibits dihdrofolate reductase resulting in decreased synthesis of tetrahydrofolate
Clinical use:
Acute leukemias, lymphomas, choriocarcinoma, breast and lung cancer
Also used in graft rejection control, RA, and psoriasis
THFA is used in purine/pyrimidine synthesis
What enzyme do mercaptopurine and thioguanine inhibit when they are transformed into false purine nucleotides?
Phophsoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate aminotransferase
Critical for synthesis of phosphoribosylamine - essential in purine synthesis
Fludarabine
Nucleotide analog which is phosphorylated intracelluarly and incorporated into DNA and RNA - metabolite interferes w/ DNA synthesis through inhibition of DNA polymerase ribonucleotide reductase
Clinical use:
Mainly for remission maintenance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and is the DOC for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Induces apoptosis
May cause peripheral neuropathy (neurotoxic)
Long term use may cause hepatotoxicity