Chemotherapy Flashcards
(45 cards)
What is cancer mainly caused by
- acquired mutations caused by chemical, viruses, radiation
- inherited mutations
what do oncogenes lead to
- uncontrolled cell proliferation
- dedifferentiation
What do loss of suppressor genes lead to
- decrease in apoptosis
- alterations in telomerase
what malignancies can our immune system contain
T cells can help contain early malignancies and prevent from them developing into clinical cancers
how do you stage cancer
TNM
T
- tumour - so is in in situ, local tumour mass or has it locally infiltrated and is advanced
N
- lymphatic spread
M
- metastasis (systemic spread)
What is the role of chemotherpay in cancer treatment
- Metastatic cancer
- adjuvant chemotherapy
- neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
- hematological malignancies
what is the role of chemotherapy in metastatic cancer
Palliative or Curative Chemotherapy
What is the role of chemotherapy in adjuvant therapy
to eradicate or control micro-metastasis
What is the role of cancer in neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
- makes the tumour smaller in order to make surgery or radiotherapy possible
- alleviate surgical damage
- eradicate micrometasis
What is the role of chemotherapy is haematological malignancies
chemotherapy Primary Treatment as they are very chemotherapy sensitive
What are the two places that chemotherapy acts
- phase of the cell cycle
- cellular level
what are the two cell cycle types of chemotherapy agents
- cell cycle phase - specific
- cell cycle phase non specific
Why is chemotherapy given every 3 weeks
- most chemotherapy treatment damages the bone marrow and causes the blood concentration to drop
- by 3 weeks this will be normal again and the bone marrow has recovered
- if you are using a smaller dose of chemotherapy that is less toxic to the bone marrow it can be given weekly
describe specific cell cycle phase chemotherapy drug characteristics
- agents with major activity in a particular phase of cell cycle
- schedule dependent
- Kills actively dividing cells
describe nonspecific cell cycle phase chemotherapy drug characteristics
- agents with significant activity in multiple phases
- dose dependent
- kills resting cells and dividing cells
give example of cell cycle non specific chemotherapy drugs
Cisplatin Cyclophosphamide Chlorambucil Actinomycin-D L-Asparaginase
give examples of cell cycle specific chemotherpay drugs for the
- G1
- S
- G2
- M phase
G1 – vinblastine
S – Methotrexate, 6-Mercaptopurine, 5-Fluorouracil
G2 – Bleomycin, Etoposide, Topotecan, Daunorubicin
M- Vincristine, Vinblastine, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel
Name the sites of action of cytotoxic agents
Antimetabolites - acts on DNA synthesis
Alkylating agents act on DNA
Intercalating agents act on DNA transcription and DNA duplication
Spindle poisons - act on mitossi
Name examples of directly acting cytotoxic drugs
Alkylating agents
Antimetabolites
Natural products - Antibiotics - Vinca Alkaloids - Taxanes - Enzymes - Biological response modifiers Miscellaneous; cisplatin, carboplatin
Name the indirectly acting by altering the hormonal mileau drugs
Corticosteroids Oestrogens 5 alpha reductase inhibitors GnRH agonists Progestins
name some alkylating agetnts
Nitrogen mustands - Meclorethamine, melphalan, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide Ethyleneimine - Thiotepa Alkyl Sulfonate - Busulfan Nitrosureas - Carmustine - Iomustine - Streptozocin Triazine - Decarbazine - Temozolamide
name some anti metabolites
Folate antagonists - Methotrexate Purine antagonists - 6 mercaptopurine - 6 thioguanine - Azathioprine Pyrimidine antagonists - 5 Fluorouracil - Cytarabine - Gemcitabine
name some antibiotic drugs
Actinomycin D Doxorubicin Daunorubicin Bleomycin Mitomycin C
name vinca alkaloids
Vincristine
Vinblastine
Vinorelbine
