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2060 Pharmacology > Module 17 Cancer > Flashcards

Module 17 Cancer Flashcards

(60 cards)

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1
Q

Cancer Definition

A
  • Uncontrolled proliferation of cells
  • Neoplastic cells
  • Abnormal/uncontrollable cell growth
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2
Q

Cancer Cell Characteristics

A
  • Uncontrollable cell proliferation
  • Invasive (adjacent tissue)
  • Metastatic (travel to different sites)
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3
Q

Treatment Options

A
  • Surgery (tumour removal)
  • Radiation (shrink tumours)
  • Chemotherapy (drugs target cells)
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4
Q

Radiation

A
  • Shrink tumours
  • Kill cancer cells
  • DNA damage of ALL cells
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5
Q

Cell Cycle Phases

A
  • G0 resting, no cell replication
  • G1, duplication prep (DNA)
  • S, synthesizes DNA
  • G2, mitosis prep
  • M, division via mitosis
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6
Q

Toxicity of Normal Cells

A
  • Neoplastic cells similar to normal cells
  • Difficult to only target cancer cells
  • Occurs in cells with high growth fraction
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7
Q

Growth Faction of Cells

A
  • Ratio of proliferation cells to cells in resting (G0)
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8
Q

Cell Types with High Growth Fraction

A
  • Bone marrow
  • GI epithelium
  • Hair follicles
  • Germinal epithelium of testes
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9
Q

Curing Cancer

A
  • 100% of cancer cells killed
  • Difficult to test & determine
  • First order kinetics
  • Constant % of cells killed at dose of drug
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10
Q

Breast Cancer

A
  • Clinical examination every 2-3 years
  • Women over 50
  • Additional/earlier screening for high risk cases
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11
Q

Cervical Cancer

A
  • HPV risk factor
  • Genital skin to skin contact spread
  • Pap test 1-3 years for sexually active women
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12
Q

Colorectal Cancer

A
  • 50+ men & women
  • Fecal blood test every 2 years
  • Colonoscopy every 5 years for high risk
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13
Q

Prostate Cancer

A
  • 50+ men
  • Digital rectal exam
  • Prostate antigen blood test
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14
Q

Skin Cancer

A
  • Self-checks regularly
  • Changes to birth marks/moles, skin growths, sores
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15
Q

Testicular Cancer

A
  • 15+ men
  • Self testicular exam regularly
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16
Q

Solid Tumours

A
  • Large fraction of cells in resting (G0)
  • Chemotherapeutic drugs target proliferating cells
  • Poor response
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17
Q

Drug Resistance Types

A
  • Decreased drug uptake
  • Increased drug efflux
  • Decreased drug activation (prodrugs)
  • Reduced target sensitivity
  • Increased cellular repair (DNA)
  • Decreased apoptosis (cell death)
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18
Q

Intermittent Chemotherapy

A
  • Allows time for normal cells to recover
  • Normal cells must grow back faster than cancer cells
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19
Q

Combination Chemotherapy

A
  • Multiple agents more effective
  • Decrease resistance
  • Increased cancer cells killed
  • Decrease injury to normal cells
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20
Q

Decreasing Drug Resistance

A
  • Acquired due to random cell mutation
  • Unlikely cancer cells will undergo multiple mutation
  • Multiple drugs equal more effective therapy
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21
Q

Increasing Cancer Cells Killed

A
  • Different mechanisms of action for each drug
  • Attack cells in various ways
  • Greater killed cells
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22
Q

Decrease Injury to Normal Cells

A
  • Drugs with no overlapping toxicities
  • Greater anti-cancer effects
  • Greater safety
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23
Q

Bone Marrow Suppression

A
  • Neutropenia
  • Thrombocytopenia
  • Anemia
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24
Q

Neutropenia

A
  • Decreased neutrophils in blood
  • Type of white blood cells
  • Help fight infection
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25
Thrombocytopenia
- Decreased platelets in blood - Clotting of blood - Increase risk of bleeding
26
Anemia
- Decreased number of erythrocytes (RBC) - Less of a concern
27
Digestive Tract Injury
- Stomatitis (oral mucosa inflammation) - Progress to ulceration - Diarrhea (secondary damage) - Epithelial lining damage
28
Nausea/Vomit
- Common adverse effect - Can be a limiting factor of treatment - Anti-emetic drugs - Prevention of dehydration/malnutrition
29
Cytotoxic Agent Types
- Alkylating agents - Platinum compounds - Antimetabolites - Antitumour antibiotics - Mitotic inhibitors
30
Cycle Phase Specific Drugs
- Effective to certain cell phase only - Cell must be actively part of cycle - Ineffective on G0 cells
31
Non-Specific Phase Drugs
- Act at any stage of cell cycle - More toxic to proliferating cells
32
Alkylating Agents
- Transfer alkyl group to cell components (DNA) - Form cross bridge between nitrogen on guanine nucleotides - Results in miscoding DNA/inhibition of replication - Cell cycle non-specific drug
33
Cyclophosphamide
- Most common alkylating agent - Prodrug - Converted to active form by liver - Delayed onset of effect
34
Cyclophosphamide Uses
- Hodgkins disease - Solid tumour
35
Platinum Compounds
- Platinum in chemical structure of drug - Cross link DNA, inhibiting replication - Bind to guanine nucleotides - Cell cycle non-specific drug
36
Cisplatin
- Most common platinum compound - Nephrotoxic - Ototoxic (ear) - Emetogenic (cause nausea/vomit)
37
Antimetabolites
- Inhibit enzymes/prevent DNA replication - Similar to natural body compound - Cell phase specific drug - Act during S phase
38
Folic Acid Analogs
- Block conversion of folate to active form
39
Purine & Pyrimidine Analogs
- Inhibit DNA/RNA synthesis
40
Antitumour Antibiotics
- Kill cancer cells by intercalating DNA - Move between DNA bases & bind - Inhibit DNA synthesis by altering structure - Poorly absorbed - IV admin
41
Anthracyclines
- Antitumour antibiotic - Bone marrow suppression - Cardiotoxic
42
Mitotic Inhibitors
- Act during cell cycle - Prevent mitosis (cell division)
43
Vina Alkaloids
- Derived from periwinkle plant - Block mitosis during metaphase - Bind to tubulin protein - Interferes with microtubule organization - Inappropriate chromosome distribution
44
Taxanes
- Act in G2 phase - Stabilize microtubule bundles - Prevent cell division
45
Glucocorticoids
- Adjunct to other chemotherapy agents - Cancer derived from lymphoid tissue - Directly toxic to lymphoid tissue - Management of complication of other agents
46
Side Effects of Glucocorticoids
- Osteoporosis - Adrenal insufficiency - Infection susceptibility - GI ulceration - Electrolyte disturbance - Growth retardation
47
Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Prostate tissue androgen dependant - Androgen (testosterone) deprivation
48
GnRH Agonist/Surgical Castration
- Transient increase in testosterone at start of therapy - Decrease GnRH activity - Use desensitization & negative feedback - Overtime testosterone synthesis & release is decreased
49
Androgen Receptor Antagonists
- Used in combination with GnRH agonist/castration - Blocks androgen receptors in tumour cells
50
GnRH Function
- Causes release of testosterone from testes
51
Testosterone Function
- Feeds prostate cancer cells - Negative feedback for GnRH release
52
Breast Cancer Treatment
- Estrogen causes proliferation of cancer cells - Depriving breast cancer cells of estrogen - Surgery - Radiation therapy
53
Tamoxifen
- Common anti-estrogen drug - Partial estrogen receptor agonist - Block binding of endogenous estrogen to receptor
54
Aromatase Inhibitors
- Inhibit conversion of androgens to estrogens - Decrease estrogen available to breast cancer cells - Postmenopausal women only - Doesn't block ovarian estrogen synthesis
55
HER2
- Transmembrane receptor - Regulate cell growth - Tumours with high HER2 have aggressive growth
56
Mechanisms of Trastuzumab
- Monoclonal antibody - Binds to HER2 - Prevent cell proliferation - IV admin - Cardiotoxicity risk
57
Tyrasine Kinase Inhibitors
- Activate gene transcription/DNA synthesis - Phosphorylate proteins on amino acid residues - Increase tyrosine kinases activity in cancer
58
Imatinib
- Prototype tyrosine kinase inhibitor - Inhibits cellular proliferation - Cell death via apoptosis
59
Imatinib Uses
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) - GI stromal tumours (GIST)
60
Imatinib Adverse Effects
- Nausea/vomit - Edema - Muscle cramps

2060 Pharmacology (18 decks)

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