Flood Chapter 42 Flashcards
A broad range of chemicals (drugs) aimed at treating cancer by eradicating malignant cells anywhere in the body are referred to as
Chemotherapy
Effectiveness of chemotherapy requires that there be complete destruction (total cell kill) of all cancer cells because?
a single surviving cell with the ability to divide can give rise to sufficient progeny to ultimately kill the host.
Harnessing our intrinsic immune surveillance system has become more and more a part of contemporary investigations of cancer and its treatment because?
The role of the immune system in identifying and eliminating foreign tumor cells has gained increasing recognition
The use of several chemotherapeutic drugs (also called antineoplastic drugs) concurrently or in a planned sequence is commonly done in efforts to?
eradicate even small residual tumor cell populations that have survived treatment with a single or previous agent.
What are the characteristics of drugs used in combination chemotherapy regimens
Use the largest tolerated doses of each chemotherapeutic drug
Drugs that work via different mechanisms
Drugs that do not share similar toxic effects
What is the advantage of using combination chemo agents with different MOA
Using a combination of agents that have different mechanisms decreases the chances that drug-resistant tumor cell populations will emerge.
Chemotherapeutic drugs used in combination are usually administered over short periods at specific treatment intervals rather than as continuous therapy. This is because?
Empiric observation that normal cells usually recover more rapidly from a pulse of maximal chemotherapy than do malignant cells.
Immunosuppression is less profound with intermittent administration of chemotherapy.
Even if all cells in a tumor are sensitive to a drug, a single dose of the drug is not usually sufficient to kill the typically hundreds of millions of cells that are present in patients with cancer.
With rare exceptions, the optimal dose of chemotherapeutic drugs requires repetitive dosing because?
Even if all cells in a tumor are sensitive to a drug, a single dose of the drug is not usually sufficient to kill the typically hundreds of millions of cells that are present in patients with cancer.
Malignant cells are often characterized by?
rapid division and synthesis of DNA.
Most conventional chemotherapeutic drugs exert their antineoplastic effects on cells that are?
actively undergoing division (mitosis) or DNA synthesis.
What affects how drugs are scheduled and combined for maximal effect.
The biology of the cancer under treatment
Cell cycle specificity of agents
Which cancers are slow-growing malignant cells with a slow rate of division, and often unresponsive or at best partially responsive to conventional chemotherapy.
carcinoma of the lung and colon
What cells are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Rapidly dividing normal cells like the cells found in the;
bone marrow
gastrointestinal mucosa
skin, and hair follicles
Clinical manifestations of toxicity caused by chemotherapeutic drugs represent activity at normal rapidly dividing cells and often include?
myelosuppression (leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia), nausea vomiting diarrhea mucosal ulceration dermatitis and alopecia
The most common toxicity that leads to temporary or permanent withdrawal of chemotherapy is?
Myelosuppression
The dose-limiting factor for many chemotherapeutic drugs is?
Myelosuppression
Drug-induced myelosuppression is usually irreversible. True/False?
is usually reversible with discontinuation of the chemotherapeutic agent.
Resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs often occurs and has many causes, these include?
Induction of drug-metabolizing enzymes in the liver, other tissues, or tumor cells, accelerating drug conversion to nontoxic metabolites.
Many solid tumors grow so rapidly that portions of the tumor are poorly vascularized, preventing therapeutic concentrations from reaching many target cells.
In poorly perfused areas of some tumors, cells remain resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs because of relative hypoxia.
Hypoxia causes resistance to both _______ and ___________
radiation
most chemotherapeutic drugs
What cancer is or susceptible to resistance due to hypoxia
malignancies susceptible to treatment with the mitomycins.
Side effects of cyclophosphamide ?
Hypersensitivity
Fibrosis Pneumonitis
Pericarditis, pericardial effusion =possible tamponade
N/V
Hemorrhagic Cystitis ( so if you see dysuria and hematuria d/c the drug)
Inappropriate secretion of arginine vasopressin (possible water intoxication)
Extravasation DOES NOT produce thrombophlebitis
Are patients with history of of chemo-induced nausea and vomiting prone to PONV ?
Not necessarily.
What antiemetics regimen have facilitated tolerance of emetogenic chemotherapeutic drugs ?
Serotonin antagonists (5HT3 antagonists ) as effective antiemetic
In addition to combination antiemetic has facilitated tolerance of emetogenic chemo drugs
The most commonly used Nitrogen Mustards are ? MMCC*
Mechlorethemine
Melphalan
Cyclophosphamide
Chlorambucil
Mechlotheramine, what are the characteristics of this drugs ?
Rapid acting
Given IV to minimize local tissue irritation
Intensely powerful vesicant
Gloves must be worn
Can localize effect of this drug by injecting it in the arteries that supply the target tissue
Total Dose of Mechlotermine ? Think Etomidate
0.4 mg/kg
why are tumors in poorly perfused area resistant to chemo?
Because of relative hypoxia,
Hypoxia = resistance time chemo and radiation ; except malignancies susceptible syndrome to treatment with mitomycins.
What are Toiposomerases?
Enzymes that regulate over winding or underlining of DNA during replication and are the targets for many chemotherapeutic drugs
How does resistance to alkylating drugs occur ?
Her expression of drug neutralizing substances and metabolizing proteins
How are chemotherapeutic drugs classified?
According to their mechanism of action
Dorriety appropriate lab test in the preop for patients receiving chemotherapy?
Hemoglobin, platelet count, white blood cell count, coagulation profile, arterial blood gases, blood glucose, plus my electrolytes, liver and renal function test, EKG, and chest x-ray.
How does the presence of mucositis affect care of the patient?
It makes placement of pharyngeal airway, laryngeal mask airway, and esophageal catheters questionable.
Can you expect in a patient with a history of severe vomiting or diarrhea?
Electrolyte disturbances and decrease intravascular fluid volume
How can chemotherapeutic drugs affect succinylcholine?
If the chemo drug decreases plasma cholinesterase activity it may prolong the effect of succinylcholine
What is the definition of therapeutic index?
Did those that causes toxicity divided by the minimum effective dose
Is the standard definition of therapeutic index useful in the use of chemotherapeutic drugs?
No it is not useful, as these agents all produce significant, even life-threatening toxicity I dosage which may not reach levels that are high enough to eradicate cancer.
Do chemotherapeutic drugs possess a narrow therapeutic index?
Because they typically target proteins or nucleus acid which are common to both malignant and non -malignant cells
What is the dosage go for chemotherapeutic drugs?
Maximum tolerated doses
Patients who have a history of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting are not necessarily prone to postoperative nausea and vomiting. True or false?
True
Patients who have a history of tolerating him out to Jen and chemotherapy regimen’s are likely to develop postoperative nausea and vomiting. True or false?
False. If they are usually able to tolerate him out to Jenny chemotherapy regimen’s they are unlikely to develop post op Nausea and vomiting
What class of anti-emetic has been developed to facilitate the tolerance of chemotherapeutic drugs.
Serotonin antagonist as effective anti-medics in addition to combination anti-medic regimens has facilitated the tolerance of ematogenic chemotherapeutic drugs
What are the chemotherapeutic drugs that damage DNA and what are they associated with?
Alkylating drugs, topoisemerases, and they are associated with secondary malignancies
What type of tissues are more susceptible to the side to toxic effects of certain chemotherapy drugs and why?
Hi leave for the fruit of tissues they undergo rapid Mitosis. Mucositis, diarrhea, myelosuppression,
What are the alkylating agents?
Nitrogen mustard
Alkyl sulfonates
nitrosoureas
triazines
How do alkylating agents out there DNA?
1) They form covalent I’ll kill bonds with nucleic acid bases = Result in enter strand DNA cross links
2) DNA cross links are toxic to cells undergoing division
3) By altering the structure of DNA, the drugs inhibit DNA replication and transcription.
Why are alkylating chemotherapeutic drugs more likely to kill malignant cells and non-malignant cells?
Because the DNA damage they produce is more likely To affect the cells with the greater proliferation rate and cancer cells have rates of proliferation greater than non-cancerous cells
What is the most important those limiting factor in the clinical use of alkylating drugs?
Bone marrow suppression also called Mayla suppression is the most important those limiting factor in the clinical use of alkylating drugs especially busulfan
Which calculating drugs produces the most bone marrow suppression?
Busulfan
Alkylating agents stop mitosis in how long?
6 to 8 hours