PRINCIPLES OF CHEMOTHERAPY
& CYTOTOXIC DRUGS
- Refers to changes in the body's cells that cause INVASION AND METASTASIS
them to grow out of control. These cells can grow
very fast and spread, eventually crowding out 1. Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and
normal cells and damaging entire systems of the blood vessels.
body.
2. Cancer cells are transported by the circulatory
- A few diseases that result from faulty or system to distant sites.
abnormal genetic expression caused by changes
3. Cancer cells reinvade and grow at new location.
that have occurred in the DNA.
CHEMOTHERAPHY:
- A systemic intervention used in the treatment of
o Leukemias: Bloodstream
certain disease conditions.
o Lymphomas: Lymph nodes
o Lung: - In modern-day use, refers primarily to the use of
o Breast: cytotoxic agents to treat CANCER.
o Colon
CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS - Used
o Some common sarcomas: Fat,
only when disease prognosis shows that patient
Bone, Muscle
would benefit from the treatment.
o Bladder:
o Prostate: ROLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY:
o Primary - induction treatment for
haematological tumors & advanced solid
tumors
a. Type of cancer o Adjuvant - chemo used after the primary
tx (in adjunct to); for micro metastasis
b. Stage of cancer o Neoadjuvant - Use of chemotherapy
c. Overall condition of the patient before surgery, the primary treatment
d. Goal of treatment
- Cure
- Prolong life
- Reduce unwanted symptoms or effects of the
cancer (palliative)
, - Broadly, most chemotherapeutic drugs work by
impairing mitosis (cell division), effectively
CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMOTHERAPY
targeting fast-dividing cells.
DRUGS CYCLE- SPECIFIC:
- In cancer, cells rapidly divide and does not enter
o Antimetabolites
the resting phase because they are unresponsive to
growth-inhibitory signals. - interfere with nucleic acid synthesis
- Only a percentage of the cancer cells are killed - Attack during S phase of cell cycle
with each course of chemotherapy. Therefore,
repeated doses-or cycles of chemotherapy must be - Cytatabine, floxuridine, fluorouracil,
done. hydroxyurea, methotrexate, thioguanine
o Enzymes
- Useful only for leukemias
- Asparaginase
o Plant Alkaloids
- Cycle-specific to M Phase
- Prevent mitotic spindle formation
- Vinblastine, vincristine
HOW CHEMOTHERAPY WORKS: CYCLE- NONSPECIFIC:
- BYATTACKING ALL RAPIDLY GROWING o Alkylating Agents
CELLS INTHE BODY
- Disrupt deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) -
- BY PREVENTING CANCER CELLS FROM Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide,
GROWING AND MULTIPLYING Ifosfamide, Thiotepa
- BY RELIEVING SUMPTOMS CAUSED BY o Antibiotics
CANCER
- Bind with DNA to inhibit synthesis of DNA and
- BREAKING DOWN PARTS OF THE RNA
CANCER CELLS
- Bleomycin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, mitomycin,
- BY STOPPING CANCER CELLS FROM mitoxantrone
GROWING
- BY USING UP BY PREVENTING
NUTRIENTS NEEDED BY THE CANCER CYTOPROTECTIVE AGENTS:
GOALS
- Protect normal tissue by binding with
- CURE metabolites of other cytotoxic drugs
- CONTROL - Dexrazoxane
- PALLIATION - Mesna
& CYTOTOXIC DRUGS
- Refers to changes in the body's cells that cause INVASION AND METASTASIS
them to grow out of control. These cells can grow
very fast and spread, eventually crowding out 1. Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and
normal cells and damaging entire systems of the blood vessels.
body.
2. Cancer cells are transported by the circulatory
- A few diseases that result from faulty or system to distant sites.
abnormal genetic expression caused by changes
3. Cancer cells reinvade and grow at new location.
that have occurred in the DNA.
CHEMOTHERAPHY:
- A systemic intervention used in the treatment of
o Leukemias: Bloodstream
certain disease conditions.
o Lymphomas: Lymph nodes
o Lung: - In modern-day use, refers primarily to the use of
o Breast: cytotoxic agents to treat CANCER.
o Colon
CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS - Used
o Some common sarcomas: Fat,
only when disease prognosis shows that patient
Bone, Muscle
would benefit from the treatment.
o Bladder:
o Prostate: ROLE OF CHEMOTHERAPY:
o Primary - induction treatment for
haematological tumors & advanced solid
tumors
a. Type of cancer o Adjuvant - chemo used after the primary
tx (in adjunct to); for micro metastasis
b. Stage of cancer o Neoadjuvant - Use of chemotherapy
c. Overall condition of the patient before surgery, the primary treatment
d. Goal of treatment
- Cure
- Prolong life
- Reduce unwanted symptoms or effects of the
cancer (palliative)
, - Broadly, most chemotherapeutic drugs work by
impairing mitosis (cell division), effectively
CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMOTHERAPY
targeting fast-dividing cells.
DRUGS CYCLE- SPECIFIC:
- In cancer, cells rapidly divide and does not enter
o Antimetabolites
the resting phase because they are unresponsive to
growth-inhibitory signals. - interfere with nucleic acid synthesis
- Only a percentage of the cancer cells are killed - Attack during S phase of cell cycle
with each course of chemotherapy. Therefore,
repeated doses-or cycles of chemotherapy must be - Cytatabine, floxuridine, fluorouracil,
done. hydroxyurea, methotrexate, thioguanine
o Enzymes
- Useful only for leukemias
- Asparaginase
o Plant Alkaloids
- Cycle-specific to M Phase
- Prevent mitotic spindle formation
- Vinblastine, vincristine
HOW CHEMOTHERAPY WORKS: CYCLE- NONSPECIFIC:
- BYATTACKING ALL RAPIDLY GROWING o Alkylating Agents
CELLS INTHE BODY
- Disrupt deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) -
- BY PREVENTING CANCER CELLS FROM Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide,
GROWING AND MULTIPLYING Ifosfamide, Thiotepa
- BY RELIEVING SUMPTOMS CAUSED BY o Antibiotics
CANCER
- Bind with DNA to inhibit synthesis of DNA and
- BREAKING DOWN PARTS OF THE RNA
CANCER CELLS
- Bleomycin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, mitomycin,
- BY STOPPING CANCER CELLS FROM mitoxantrone
GROWING
- BY USING UP BY PREVENTING
NUTRIENTS NEEDED BY THE CANCER CYTOPROTECTIVE AGENTS:
GOALS
- Protect normal tissue by binding with
- CURE metabolites of other cytotoxic drugs
- CONTROL - Dexrazoxane
- PALLIATION - Mesna
