Anticancer chemotherapy:
The aim of drug treatment in patients with cancer is to reduce the presence of malignant cells. This may be achieved by causing a lethal cytotoxic event in the cancer cell that will arrest tumour progression. Targets for cytotoxic attack include inhibition of purine and pyrimidine synthesis, inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis and chemical attack on the integrity of the structure of cellular DNA. Since these treatments reduce the mechanisms of cell proliferation in general, they are toxic to both tumour cells and normal, non-cancerous proliferating cells.
Many anticancer drugs will target and kill normal cells as well as tumour cells, thus it is now contributing to the common toxic manifestations of chemotherapy such as vomiting, alopecia and diarrhoea …show more content…
Some drugs are effective during specific part of the cell cycle and some are used in the treatment of high growth fraction malignancies such as blood cancers .Some other anticancer drugs are cell cycle non specific and are effective in the treatment of low growth fraction malignancies such as solid tumours. The alkylating agents are prime examples of this drug class.
Alkylating Agents:
What is alkylating agent?
It is an agent that is used in cancer treatment that attaches an alkyl group (CnH2n+1) to DNA.
The alkyl group is attached to the guanine base of DNA, at the number 7 nitrogen atom of the purine ring. Since the cancer cells in general, proliferate faster and with less error- correcting than healthy cells, cancer cells are more sensitive to DNA damage , such as being alkylated. Alkylating agents are used to treat several cancers. However, they are also toxic to normal cells cytotoxic leading to damage, in particular in cells divides as those in gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, testicles and ovaries, which can cause loss of fertility. Most of the alkylating agents are also carcinogenic. Hyperthermia is
The aim of drug treatment in patients with cancer is to reduce the presence of malignant cells. This may be achieved by causing a lethal cytotoxic event in the cancer cell that will arrest tumour progression. Targets for cytotoxic attack include inhibition of purine and pyrimidine synthesis, inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis and chemical attack on the integrity of the structure of cellular DNA. Since these treatments reduce the mechanisms of cell proliferation in general, they are toxic to both tumour cells and normal, non-cancerous proliferating cells.
Many anticancer drugs will target and kill normal cells as well as tumour cells, thus it is now contributing to the common toxic manifestations of chemotherapy such as vomiting, alopecia and diarrhoea …show more content…
Some drugs are effective during specific part of the cell cycle and some are used in the treatment of high growth fraction malignancies such as blood cancers .Some other anticancer drugs are cell cycle non specific and are effective in the treatment of low growth fraction malignancies such as solid tumours. The alkylating agents are prime examples of this drug class.
Alkylating Agents:
What is alkylating agent?
It is an agent that is used in cancer treatment that attaches an alkyl group (CnH2n+1) to DNA.
The alkyl group is attached to the guanine base of DNA, at the number 7 nitrogen atom of the purine ring. Since the cancer cells in general, proliferate faster and with less error- correcting than healthy cells, cancer cells are more sensitive to DNA damage , such as being alkylated. Alkylating agents are used to treat several cancers. However, they are also toxic to normal cells cytotoxic leading to damage, in particular in cells divides as those in gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow, testicles and ovaries, which can cause loss of fertility. Most of the alkylating agents are also carcinogenic. Hyperthermia is