Chemotherapy and Other Cancer Therapies Flashcards
how does chemotherapy work?
damages DNA of cancer cells as it divides so the cell recognises itself as damaged and dies by apoptosis
cytotoxic drug classification
cell cycle specific
non-cell cycle specific
what is cell cycle specific cytotoxic therapy?
tumour specific and duration of exposure more important than dose
examples of cell cycle specific cytotoxic therapy?
antimetabolites e.g. methotrexate
mitotic spindle inhibitors
what is non-cell cycle specific cytotoxic therapy?
not tumour specific
cumulative dose more important than diration
examples of non-cell cycle specific cytotoxic therapy?
alkylating agents
platinum derivatives e.g. cisplatinum
cytotoxic antibiotics e.g. anthracyclines
side effects of chemotherapy
rapidly dividing organs
- bone marrow suppression
- gut mucosal damage (sepsis risk)
- alopecia
specific side effect of vinca alkaloids
neuropathy
specific side effect of anthracyclines
cardiomyopathy
specific side effect of cisplatinum
nephrotoxicity
specific side effects of alkylating agents
infertility
secondary malignancy
reasons chemotherapy can fail
slow dividing tumour
drug resistance
why is intensifying chemotherapy limited?
causes myelosuppression (can use growth factors)
sources of stem cell transplantation
autologous
allogenic
what is adoptive immunotherapy?
makes the patients own immune cells recognise the cancer as foreign and attack it
example of adoptive immunotherapy
CAR-T therapy
examples of targeted therapies
- monoclonal antibodies
- biological agents
- molecularly targeted treatments
examples of monoclonal antibodies
rituximab (CD20) in high grade B cell NHL
brentuximab (CD30) in HL
are there side effects in monoclonal antibodies?
no, very specific
are there side effects in biological agents?
not targets, so yes
examples of biological agents
proteosome inhibitors
IMIDs e.g. thalidomide
examples of molecularly targeted treatments
tyrosine kinase inhibitors (CML)
ibrutinib= targeting malignant B cells
do molecularly targeted treatments have side effects?
no as pathway specific