chemotherapy part 1

Question 1

what is the difference between single and combination therapeutic?

Answer 1

single therapuetic was orginally used to treat cancer in 1960s

combination allowed increased remission in the patient numbers and the lengtb of remission time.

Question 2

what are chemotherapy targets?

Answer 2

1) nucleic acid
Multiple ways to target Nucleic Acids
- DNA double helix
- DNA synthesis
- Synthesis of DNA building blocks

2)protein targets
Inhibition of enzymes or receptors
Interaction with structural proteins

3) other biomolecule
- cell surface features

Question 3

what are the different classification of drugs?

Answer 3

Alkylating drugs
Cytotoxic antibiotics
Antimetabolites
Sex hormones and hormone antagonists
Drugs affecting the immune response
Vinca alkaloids
Other

Question 4

what is the moa of alkylating drugs
examples

Answer 4

damage DNA and hence interfere with cell replication.
e.g. Cyclophosphamide, Ifosfamide, chlorambucil, melphalan, busulfan, lomustine, carmustine, estramustine, treosulfan, thiotepa, mitobronitol, dacarbazine and temozolomide, platinum compounds, procarbazine.

Question 5

what is the moa of cytotoxic drugs
examples

Answer 5

interact with DNA and proteins e.g. doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, dactinomycin, mitomycin, etoposide.

Question 6

moa of antimetabolite
examples

Answer 6

incorporated into new nuclear material or combine irreversibly with vital cellular enzymes preventing normal cellular division.
e.g. methotrexate, capecitabine, cytarabine, fludarabine, cladribine, gemcitabine, fluorouracil, pemetrexed, raltitrexed, mercaptopurine, tegafur.

Question 7

moa Sex hormones and hormone antagonists
examples

Answer 7

Target biological hormonal pathways and interact with receptor binding sites. Include oestrogens, progestogens, hormone antagonists
e.g. diethylstilbestrol, ethinylestradiol, medroxyprogesterone, megestrol, tamoxifen, anastrazole, letrozole

Question 8

Drugs affecting the immune response: Include antiproliferative immunosuppressants and immunomodulating drugs. e.g. thalidomide (not licensed), interferon alfa, aldesleukin

Vinca alkaloids : e.g. vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine,

Other: e.g., taxanes

Question 9

Alkylating agents are highly electrophilic compounds that react with nucleophiles to form strong covalent bonds.

Alkylating agents include nitrogen mustards, nitrosoureas, cisplatin and analogues, dacarbazine and procarbazine and mitomycin C. They are used to treat a wide range of cancers including leukaemia, non-hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma, lung, breast, testicular and ovarian cancers.

Question 10

cisplantin?