Breast Cancer Chemotherapy | Some Common Chemotherapy drugs

Some of the commonly used chemotherapy drugs are:

Actinomycin D, Adriamycin, Alkeran, Ara-C, Avastin, BiCNU, Busulfan, Carboplatinum, CCNU, Cisplatinum, Cytoxan, Daunorubicin, DTIC, 5-FU, Fludarabine, Gemcitabine, Herceptin, Hydrea, Idarubicin, Ifosfamide, Irinotecan, Leustatin, 6-MP, Methotrexate, Mithramycin, Mitomycin, Mitoxantrone, Navelbine, Nitrogen Mustard, Rituxan, 6-TG, Taxol, Taxotere, Topotecan, Velban, Vincristine and VP-16.

Chemotherapy drugs are divided into several groups based on how they affect specific chemical substances within cancer cells, which cellular activities or processes the drug interferes with, and which specific phases of the cell cycle the drug affects. Knowing this helps oncologists decide which drugs are likely to work well together.

Alkylating Agents:

Alkylating agents directly damage DNA to prevent the cancer cell from reproducing. These drugs are active against chronic leukemias, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma, and lung, breast, ovarian, and certain other cancers.

Some examples of alkylating agents include busulfan, cisplatin, carboplatin, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, dacarbazine, mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard), melphalan, and temozolomide.

Nitrosoureas:

Nitrosoureas act in a similar way to alkylating agents. They interfere with enzymes that help copy and repair DNA. Unlike many other drugs, these agents are able to travel from the blood to the brain, so they are often used to treat brain tumors. They may also be used to treat Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, multiple myeloma, and malignant melanoma.

Examples of nitrosoureas include streptozocin, carmustine, and lomustine.

Antimetabolites:

Antimetabolites are a class of drugs that interfere with DNA and RNA growth and are commonly used to treat leukemias, tumors of the breast, ovary, and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as other cancers.

Examples of antimetabolites include 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, gemcitabine, cytarabine, fludarabine, and pemetrexed.

Anthracyclines and Related Drugs:

Anthracyclines are anti-tumor antibiotics that interfere with enzymes involved in DNA replication. These agents work in all phases of the cell cycle. Thus, they are widely used for a variety of cancers. A major consideration when giving these drugs is the toxic effects they can have on heart muscle. For this reason, life time dose limitations are often placed on these drugs.

Examples include daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin, and mitoxantrone.

Topoisomerase Inhibitors:

These drugs interfere with enzymes called topoisomerases, which are important in accurate DNA replication. They are used to treat certain leukemias, as well as lung, ovarian, gastrointestinal, and other cancers.

Examples of topoisomerase I inhibitors include topotecan and irinotecan.

Examples of topoisomerase II inhibitors include etoposide and teniposide.

Mitotic Inhibitors:

Mitotic inhibitors are plant alkaloids and other compounds derived from natural products. They can stop mitosis or inhibit enzymes from making proteins needed for reproduction of the cell. They are used to treat many different types of cancer including breast, lung, myelomas, lymphomas, and leukemias. These drugs are known for their potential to cause peripheral nerve damage, which can be a dose-limiting side effect.

Examples of mitotic inhibitors include the taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel) and the vinca alkaloids (vinblastine, vincristine, and vinorelbine).

Corticosteroid Hormones:

Steroids are natural hormones and hormone-like drugs that are useful in treating some types of cancer (lymphoma, leukemias, and multiple myeloma) as well as other illnesses. When these drugs are used to kill cancer cells or slow their growth, they are considered chemotherapy drugs. They are often combined with other types of chemotherapy drugs to increase their effectiveness.

Examples include prednisone, solumedrol, and dexamethasone.

Miscellaneous Chemotherapy Drugs:

Some chemotherapy drugs act in slightly different ways and do not fit well into any of the other categories.

Examples include such drugs as L-asparaginase, hydroxyurea, dactinomycin, thalidomide, and tretinoin.