List of chemotherapeutic agents
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Chemotherapeutic Agents
Chemotherapeutic agents are a group of drugs used in chemotherapy to treat various types of cancer. These drugs work by targeting rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic common to cancer cells.
Pronunciation
Chemotherapeutic agents: /ˌkiːmoʊθɛrəˈpjuːtɪk ˈeɪdʒənts/
Etymology
The term "chemotherapeutic agents" is derived from the Greek words "chemia" meaning chemistry and "therapeia" meaning healing.
Types of Chemotherapeutic Agents
There are several types of chemotherapeutic agents, each with a different mechanism of action. Some of the most common types include:
- Alkylating agents: These drugs work by damaging the DNA of cancer cells to prevent them from reproducing. Examples include cyclophosphamide and cisplatin.
- Antimetabolites: These drugs mimic nutrients that the cancer cells need to grow, but when the cancer cells take them up, they interfere with the cells' metabolism and prevent them from growing. Examples include methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil.
- Plant alkaloids: These drugs block the ability of cancer cells to divide. Examples include vincristine and paclitaxel.
- Topoisomerase inhibitors: These drugs interfere with the enzymes topoisomerase I and II, which cancer cells need to divide. Examples include irinotecan and etoposide.
- Antitumor antibiotics: These drugs interfere with the DNA inside cancer cells to prevent them from multiplying. Examples include doxorubicin and bleomycin.
Related Terms
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