Cancer Therapeutics

Question 1

What portion of patients are cured with local treatment?

Answer 1

1/3 using surgery and radiotherapy

*Chemotherapy is used for advanced disease

Question 2

Typically used in combinations, where do anticancer drugs usually exert their action?

Answer 2

On cells traversing the cel cycle

Question 3

Mutation in what gene occurs in 50% of al human tumors, leading to resistance to radiation and anticancer therapy?

Answer 3

P53

Question 4

What drug is used for hodgkins lymphoma, Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma and Breast cancer?

Answer 4

Cyclophosphamide

*Alkylating agent

Question 5

What are the 6 main types of Cancer drugs?

Answer 5

1-Alkylating agents (Cyclophosphamide)
2-Nitrosoureas (Procarbazine)
3-Platinum analogs (Cisplatin)
4-Antimetabolites (methytrexate)
5-Naturals (vinca alkaploids)
6-Antitumor antibiotics (anthracyclines)

Question 6

How do alkylating agents work?

Answer 6

Transfer their alkyl groups to DNA leading to cell death

*May cause Nausea, vomiting, Damage to rapidly growing tissues, and be Carcinogenic in nature

Question 7

Which cancer drugs are highly lipid soluble and cross the BBB but require biotransformation to be active?

Answer 7

Nitrosoureas

*Procarbazine, Dacarbazine, Bendamustine

Question 8

Which nitrosourea is orally bioactive and is used for hodgkins lymphoma and brain tumors?

Answer 8

Procarbazine

Question 9

Which platinum analog medication is a broad range for solid tumors and has nephrotoxicity?

Answer 9

Cisplatin

Question 10

Which drug group acts on intermediary metabolism of proliferating cells?

Answer 10

Antimetabolites

Question 11

Which drug is a folic acid analog, binds dihydrofolate reductase and interferes with the formation of DNA, RNA and cell proteins?

Answer 11

Methyltrexate

*Head neck and breast cancers. Mucositis

Question 12

What are the 3 main antimetabolite drugs?

Answer 12

1-Methyltrexate
2-Pemetrexed (mesothelioma)
3-5-Fluorouracil (actinic keratosis)

Question 13

Which two natural product drugs act by disrupting tubulin polymerization?

Answer 13

1-Vinblastine

2-VIncristine (less immunosuppressive)

Question 14

What are the 4 main natural product drugs?

Answer 14

1-Vinblastine/VIncrisitne
2-Paclitaxel (enhances tubulin)
3-Etoposide (topoiso II)
4-Camptothecins (Topoiso I)

Question 15

What are two anti tumor antibiotics?

Answer 15

1-Doxorubicin

2-Bleomycin

Question 16

Which anti tumor antibiotic drug acts through oxygen free radicals binding and breaking DNA?

Answer 16

Doxorubicin

*Lymphoma, Breast Cancer, Thyroid cancer

Question 17

What are 3 miscellaneous anticancer drugs?

Answer 17

1-Asparaginase (inhibit protein synth)
2-Erlotinib (inhibits EGFR)
3-Imatinib (inhibits tyrosine kinases)

Question 18

What are the 4 kinds of leukemia?

Answer 18

1-ALL (children)
2-AML (adult)
3-CML (philadelphia chromosome (9,22))
4-CLL

Question 19

Which B-cell neoplasm is EBV related and is much better controlled today?

Answer 19

Hodgkins lymphoma

*Anthracycline regiming ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine)

Question 20

What plasma cell malignancy involves bone/marrow and has punched out radiolucencies?

Answer 20

Multiple myeloma

*Alkylating agents and prednisone

Question 21

What is particularly important in managing Breast Cancer?

Answer 21

Early detection

Question 22

About 1 in 8 men get prostate cancer, what is the main treatment?

Answer 22

Eliminating testosterone production through surgery castration