Misc 3: Truly miscellaneous

Question 2

What cancer and 3 other diseases is hydroxyurea used to treat?

Answer 2

CML (but replaced by imatinib), polycythemia vera, thrombocytopenia, sickle-cell disease

Question 3

What enzyme does hydroxyurea inhibit, and what does this enzyme usually do?

Answer 3

Ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase. It usually converts ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides.

Question 4

What cancer is often treated by a combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracyclines?

Answer 4

APL

Question 5

What type of cells are affected by retinoids, and what is the final effect?

Answer 5

Malignant promyelocytes are induced to terminal differentiation and then apoptosis (causing remission of APL)

Question 6

“Leukocyte Activation Syndrome” (LAS) is a side effect of what cancer drug, and is treated using what other cancer drug?

Answer 6

ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid); corticosteroids can prevent LAS

Question 7

What heavy metal toxin is highly effective in treating relapsed APL?

Answer 7

Arsenic trioxide

Question 8

What drug is used to treat multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes?

Answer 8

Thalidomide

Question 9

How does the chemotherapy agent asparaginase function?

Answer 9

Deaminates asparagine, which inhibits protein synthesis

Question 10

What cancer drug has been approved to treat hairy-cell leukemia, CML, and Kaposi’s sarcoma?

Answer 10

Interferon-alpha