Chemotherapy Lecture

Question 1

Types of Chemotherapy

Answer 1

Alkylating agents
Cisplatin & its analogues
Antimetabolites
Topoisomerase interacting agents
Anti-microtubule agents

Question 2

What types of cells do Alkylating Agents interfere with?

Answer 2

Rapidly proliferating cells

Question 3

What type of chemo drug is Temozolomide? And what cancer is it useful for?

Answer 3

Alkylating Agent
That can cross the BBB
Gliomas

Question 4

What effects do Alkylating Agents have on the body?

Answer 4

Bone marrow suppression
Gastro-intestinal effects (nausea and vomiting)
Haemorrhagic cystitis

Lung
Interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis

Gonads: (Reversible tesiticular damage, amenorrhoea and ovarian atrophy)

Second Caner

Question 5

What are the main types of Cisplatin & its analogues?

Answer 5

Cisplatin
Carboplatin
Oxaliplatin

Question 6

What does Cisplatin lead to?

Answer 6

interstrand, intrastrand and DNA-protein crosslinks

inhibition of sublethal damage (SLD) repair

Question 7

Which cancers is Cisplatin used for? How is it administered?

Answer 7

Testicular cancers
Gynaecological cancer
GIT malignancies
Genito-urinary cancers
Head & neck cancers
Lung cancer
Administered IV
Toxic to kidneys

Question 8

What is Carboplatin used for? What type of chemo drug is it?

Answer 8

Cisplatin & its analogues
used in ovarian and lung cancer
Causes less vomiting and is less toxic on kidneys

Question 9

What is oxaliplatin used in?

Answer 9

colorectal cancer

Question 10

What are the common side effects/ toxicities of Cisplatin? and how can we prevent some of these side effects

Answer 10

altered renal (kidney) function
nausea & vomiting
peripheral neuropathy
hearing impairment
reduced bone marrow production

(prevent by good hydration and premedicate with anti-nauseant)

Question 11

What are the common toxicities of carboplatin?

Answer 11

Less vomiting
more myelosuppressive (reduced bone marrow activity)

Question 12

What are the common toxicities of oxaliplatin?

Answer 12

Myelosuppression 
Diarrhoea
Stomatitis (sore mouth)
Peripheral neuropathy
Nausea & vomiting

Question 13

What cancers are antimetabolites (Methotrexate) used in?

Answer 13

ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia)
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
many solid tumours

Helps to inhibit protein synthesis

Question 14

What toxicities can Methotrexate cause?

Answer 14

myelosuppression

GIT

Question 15

What type of Chemo drug is Pemetrexed? What is it used for and what are its toxicities?

Answer 15

Antimetabolite
Mesothelioma, NSCLC
Causes:
Myelosuppression
Mucositis
Hand foot syndrome (erythema, desquamation)

Question 16

What is 5FU (fluorouracil) used for? What does it do and what are its toxicities?

Answer 16

GIT cancers, Breast, Head and neck cancer
Interferes with DNA repair, synthesis and function
Alters RNA
Radiosensitisation drug

Toxicity:
GIT, Bone marrow, hand foot syndrome

Question 17

What are Topoisomerase-interacting agents

Answer 17

Deal with torsional stresses (double helicall DNA replication, transcription and recombination)