Chemotherapy is a treatment for many different types of cancer. In this type of therapy, drugs are introduced into the body to slow and kill cancerous cell growth. There are hundreds of chemotherapy drugs on the market today, and some are in tablet form. The most common type of drugs are those that prevent DNA replication, meaning that they prevent the growth, division and multiplying of cancerous cells.
Types of Chemotherapy Drugs
Chemotherapy drugs are commonly called antineoplastics. A neoplasm, in medical terms, is a cancer cell, and this type of drug is designed to stop cell division, or mitosis, from occurring. Individuals should know that many cells in the body are not continuously developing, growing, dividing and creating more cells, but cancer cells divide and multiply on a constant basis. Therefore, chemotherapy drugs that halt this process are considered extremely beneficial.
Function of
Chemotherapy drugs work in a variety of ways. Some prevent DNA replication, while others prevent DNA synthesis. Others disrupt balances within cellular structures that prevent division, while still others actively block a cell from dividing.
Popular Chemotherapy Tablets
Popular types of chemotherapy drugs in tablet form prescribed today include, but are not limited to, Cytoxan, which prevents DNA replication by preventing the double helix found in DNA strands from unwinding, a necessary process for replication. It is most commonly used to treat lymphomas such as Hodgkin's and leukemias. Another common chemotherapy tablet is called methotrexate, which is commonly used for treatment of breast tumors and lung cancers. This drug blocks cells that are dividing from making nucleotides, again necessary for replication.
Discoveries
Every year, new chemotherapy drugs find their way into clinical studies and are used for the treatment of many different types and stages of cancer. Some of the newest include but are not limited to 5FU, more commonly known as 5-Fluorouracil, and another drug called Doxorubicin. Sometimes, oncologists (cancer specialists) will even combine chemotherapy cancer medications for exceptional effectiveness in the treatment of many stages of cancers.
Future
Studies will continue to create more effective chemotherapy drugs that cause fewer side effects. Today, side effects for chemotherapy treatments are less than what our grandparents and parents suffered, and there is hope that someday, side effects from chemotherapy will be a thing of the past.
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