Chemotherapy drugs Flashcards
How do cancers differ?
- based on:
- phenotype
- aggressiveness
- responsiveness to drugs
How are cancers treated? (3)
- surgery
- radiation
- pharmacologic agents
What are the different response criterias that the cancer can have to the treatment?
- Cure
- entirely free of disease, and has the same life expectancy as a cancer free individual
- complete response
- complete disappearance of all cancer without evidence of new disease for at least one month
- Partial response
- 50% decrease in tumor size or other objective markers
- Stable disease
- A patient whose tumor size neither grows nor shrinks by more than 25%
- Progression
- 25% increase in tumor size or development of new lesions while on treatment
What is the cycle the cell goes through from one mitotic division to the next?
- M (Mitosis)- 1.5-2 hr
- cell division
- G0 (resting)-
- cells not committed to cell division
- G1 (postmitotic)
- enzymes necessary for DNA synthesis are made
- S (synthesis)- 10-20 hours
- cell doubles its DNA
- G2 (premitotic)- 2-10 hours
- specialized proteins and RNA synthesis
What are the 7 classes of chemotherapy drugs?
- Alkylating agents
- antimetabolites
- antitumor antibiotics
- topoisomerase inhibitors
- tubulin binding drugs
- signal transduction modifiers
- Immunotherapy ( new approach that preserves normal cells and has very different adverse effects compared to traditional chemotherapy)
Why are anti cancer drugs given in combination?
to delay drug resistance, decrease toxicity, and improve cancer cell death
Toxicity Summary (side effects) of chemotherapy drugs
- *tissues with high number of proliferating cells
- Bone marrow suppression
- leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia
- may require additional pre-op labs
- Gi tract damage
- N/V- electrolyte disturbances, hypovolemia
- Alopecia
- mucosal unceration
- Infertility, teratogenic effects
- urinary stones
- extravasation
- end organ damage and hepatic enzyme induction
- consider altered response to anesthetics
- promotion of secondary cancers
What is extravasation?
Symptoms?
- the escape of a chemotherapy drug into the extravascular space, either by leakage from a vessel or by direct infiltration
- symptoms:
- pain
- burning
- swelling
- redness
- lack of blood return
- may require skin graft/surgery
Which chemotherapies most commonly extravate?
anthracyclines
vinca alkaloids
taxanes
What are the Alkylating agents?
(3)
- Nitrogen mustards ( Cyclophosphamide)
- Nitrosureas (Carmustine)
- Platinum compounds (Cisplatin, Carboplatin)
What is the MOA of Alkylating Agents?
- Reactive alkyl groups form covalent bonds with nucleotide bases in DNA, RNA
- Ex: Crosslinks guanines on the DNA helix, makeing DNA βstuckβ in supercoil
- if DNA cannot uncoil, it cannot replicate
- Disrupts DNA synthesis and cell division
What are the toxicities of Alkylating agents?
- Bone marrow suppression
- mucositis
- skeletal muscle weakness
- sz
- pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis
- pericarditis and pericardial effusion
- Inappropriate ADH secretion (water toxicity)
- uric acid induced nephropathy
- impaired pseudocholinesterase activity (2-3 weeks)
- ** the incidence of these toxicities varies among the different agents
Which alkylating agent has similar pulmonary toxicity to bleomycin?
Carmustine- pulmonary toxicity similar to bleomycin 20-30% with mortality 24-90%
What are the toxicities of Platinum Compounds?
- Nephrotoxicity
- cumulative and dose limiting- K and Mg wasting & decreased GFR
- hydration/supplemental electrolytes
- may be on lasix/mannitol to prevent
- hypomagnesium common (affects NMB sensitivity, cardiac dysrhythmia)
- Peripheral neuropathy
- presents as tingling around mouth, fingers, toes
- avoid cold contact
Which Alkylating agent is dose limited because of nephrotoxicity?
cisplatin
Which alkylating agent is dose limited for peripheral neuropathy?
oxaliplatin