Chemotherapy Flashcards
Goals of chemo
Treat diffuse hematological cancers (leukemias, lymphoma)
Addition to surgery or radiation of solid tumors
Palliative therapy
Kill 100% of tumor cells
Neoplastic cell growth
Loss of control of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis Multistep process Carcinogens and genetics Increased oncogenes Decreased tumor suppressor genes Process dependent on angiogenesis
Selective toxicity of chemo
Kills rapidly dividing cells
Combination therapy used to overcome…
Drug resistance
Drug toxicity
Inability to suppress metastasis
Major classes of antineoplastic drugs
Alkylating agents Mitotic inhibitors Anti-tumor antibiotics Antimetabolites Topoisomerase inhibitor Targeted agents
Alkylating Agents
Highly reactive drug/drug metabolite covalently binds (alkylates) DNA
Most effective against rapidly dividing cells
Cyclophosphamide, cisplatin
Cyclophosphamide, cisplatin
Alkylating agents
Antimetabolites
Analogs of endogenous precursors of DNA and RNA, prevent Nucleic acid synthesis
Effective in S phase
Methotrexate
Methotrexate
Antimetabolite
Anti tumor antibiotics
Intercalation of DNA - insert between base pairs
Cell cycle nonspecific
Doxorubicin
SE: cardio toxicity
Doxorubicin
Anti tumor antibiotic
Mitotic inhibitors
Cause cell cycle arrest in metaphase
Vincristine, paclitaxel
Vincristine, paclitaxel
Mitotic inhibitors
Topoisomerase inhibitors
Relieve torsional strain caused by unwinding of DNA by cutting and resealing DNA strands - cause permanent strand breaks
S phase specific
Irinotecan
Irinotecan
Topoisomerase inhibitor