Principles of chemotherapy I: anti‐cancer drugs - Unit 2

Question 1

Define the concept of selective toxicity in the context of cancer.

Answer 1

-Chemotherapy employs the principle of selective toxicity
Drugs should be toxic to the infectious organism or tumour but not to healthy host cells

Question 2

What are chemotherapeutic agents?

Answer 2

-drugs intended to kill – or suppress proliferation of – target cells (pathogenic microorganisms or cancercells)

Question 3

How do cancer cells differ from healthy cells?

Answer 3

Uncontrolled proliferation
Dedifferentiation and loss of function
Invasion (into adjacent tissues, including lymph nodes)
Metastasis (growth in other organs)

Question 4

How does cancer arise?

Answer 4

• checks to progression through the cell cycle are impaired
• cells with damaged DNA may divide and proliferate
• damaged genes mainly involved in oncogenesis, tumour suppression, apoptosis or DNA repair

Question 5

What are Chemotherapy Targets in Cancer?

Answer 5

-Target proliferation
1. Drugs that modify DNA structure
2. Drugs that inhibit DNA synthesis
3. Drugs that inhibit mitosis
4. Drugs that inhibit inflammation

Question 6

What do newer anti-cancer drugs do?

Answer 6

-target specific proteins, e.g. receptors and signal transduction pathways

Question 7

What are some other targets of cancer drugs?

Answer 7

Telomerase
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)
MAP kinase pathway
PI3 kinases
Hormone receptor (e.g. oestrogen)