Chemotherapy Flashcards
How is chemotherapy delivered
Oral
IV
What is the aims of chemotherapy
Improve survival
halt progression of cancer
Improve quality of life
What are the chemotoxic agents
alkylating agent
anti metabolites
anti mitotic metabolites
Mitotic spindle poisoning - taxanes and vinca alkaloids
How do alkylating agents work in chemotherapy
alkyl group covalently bind to DNA stop DNA polymerase from passing along during synthesis and prevent replication of cancer
How do antimetabolites in chemotherapy work
Prevents DNA synthesis
How do antimetabolites prevent DNA synthesis
incorporated into new nuclear material
bind irreversibly with vital enzymes and inhibit cell division
What is an example of an antimetabolite
methotextrate
What is an example of an incorporated new nuclear material in antimetabolites
incorporate fluoridated nucleoside in place of normal nucleoside
How do anti mitotic antibiotics work in chemotherapy
inhibit RNA and DNA synthesis
How do anti mitotic antibiotics inhibit RNA and DNA synthesis
- free radicals disrupt DNA chain and prevent mitosis
- Alyation blocking DNA replication
- Membrane binding increases permeabilty to various ions -Metal ion chelating resulting in cytotoxcity compounds
What are two different chemotaxis that promote mitotic spindle poison
Taxanes
Vinca alkaloids
How do taxanes work in chemotherapy
promote spindles and ‘freeze’ cells at that stage of cycles
How do vinca alkaloids work in chemotherapy
bind to tubuli and block microtubule formation and spindle formation
Combination chemotherapy increases what
drugs efficacy
What are the two ways drugs can be combined in therapy
Drugs with different mechanism actions
Drugs with dissimilar toxicity profile (both not toxic)
