What is a tumor?
An abnormal mass of cells resulting from inappropriate cell division.
What is a benign tumor?
It does not invade surrounding tissues or spread to other parts of the body.
What is a malignant tumor?
Cancer. It can invade surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).
How does cancer basically form? (3)
- Cells don’t go through apoptosis when they should. 2. Cells don’t differentiate as they should. 3. Abnormal cell division.
What is chemotherapy?
The use of chemical agents to treat disease.
What are 4 treatments for cancer?
- Cut it out. 2. Kill the cancer cells. 3. Manipulate cancer cell’s environment to kill cancer cell (immune system). 4. Differentiate the cancer cell.
What can kill cancer cells? (6)
- Radiation. 2. Chemotherapy. 3. Hypothermia. 4. Cellular immunotherapy. 5. investigational (gene therapy). 6. other drugs.
How does radiation work to treat cancer?
It uses a certain type of energy to damage cells.
What is brachytherapy?
Using an internal source of radiation.
What are two ways to kill the cancer cells?
- Target rapidly dividing cells. 2. target processes special in cancer cells.
How can you target rapidly diving cells?
Cytotoxic agents (cell-killing agents)
What is the problem with Cytotoxic agents?
They don’t discriminate between normal cells and cancer cells.
How do Anti-metabolites work? What kind of drug are they?
Block metabolism and, therefore, impact nucleic acid synthesis. They are cytotoxic drugs.
How do Microtubule Poisons or Mitotic inhibitors work? What kind of drug are they?
They disrupt cytoskeleton and impact cell divsion. They are cytotoxic drugs.
How do Genotoxins work? What kind of drug are they?
Damage DNA directly, or interfere with certain enzymes important for DNA replication. They are cytotoxic drugs.
What is an example of an Anti-metabolite? How does it work?
5-fluorouracil. They mimic nucleic acid building blocks. It interferes with the synthesis of nucleic acids.
What is an example of a Microtubule Poison or Mitotic inhibitor? How does it work?
Paclitaxel (Taxol). It keeps microtubles from shrinking. Thought to cause abnormal chromosome segregation.
What do microtubules do?
They are part of cellular structure (cytoskeleton). Also acts as tracks for materials transport within cells. Part of mitotic spindle.
What is an example of a Genotoxic agent? What’s interesting about its classification?
Doxorubicin. It’s actually an antibiotic since it’s derived from Strepomyces.
How does Doxorubicin work? (4)
- Intercalates into DNA. 2. Inhibits DNA topoisomerase II. 3. Generates free radicals. 4. Interacts with cell membranes.
What is a regimen?
A treatment plan. What drugs they’re going to get, when, and for how long.
What are three more targeted ways to go after cancer cells more directly?
- Kinase inhibitors. 2. Monoclonal Antibodies. 3. Hormonal modulation.
What do Kinase inhibitors do?
They target enzymes that are different in cancer cells. They Stop kinases from delivering phosphorous to other proteins.
What is an example of a cancer driven by abnormal kinase activity?
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Have problem in Philadelphia chromosome.
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Chapter 13: Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates10
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Chapter 5 - Ethyl Alcohol25
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Anti-depressants72
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Cocaine, Amphetamines, and ADHD27
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Analgesics32
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Drugs21
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Cannabis33
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Anti-Psychotics63
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Neural Circuitry9
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Drugs: Part 220
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Caffeine and Nicotine36
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Alzheimer's Disease39
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Anti-histamines29
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Biotech Revolution and Recombinant DNA Drugs13
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EPO29
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Steroids54
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Antibiotics38
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Cancer42
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Drugs: Part Three29
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Antivirals32
