Chemotherapy is a common type of drug treatment for cancer. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, these treatments may be used alone or in conjunction with other treatments. These drugs are continually modified and changed until the patient and the doctor are able to find the best treatment for the disease. Knowing the type of drug that is prescribed helps the patient understand the possibilities for side effects during treatment.
Alkylating Agents
Alkylating agents are drugs that damage DNA. Tumors contain DNA just like normal cells. Tumor cells have mutated DNA that causes the cell to continue to proliferate. Alkylating agents damage the DNA and limit the tumor's ability to function. These chemical agents are nonspecific, which can cause damage to the bone marrow. This can have long-term effects on patients. The risks are limited when patients are prescribed low dosages of these drugs.
Antimetabolites
Antimetabolites affect both DNA and RNA in tumor cells. DNA contains the genes that transcribe proteins for cell function. RNA is the molecule that is translated from DNA. The RNA carries the instructions for protein synthesis. If any of these two processes are damaged, the cell is unable to produce the proteins necessary for life. Antimetabolites inhibit these process during cell division. They are used to treat leukemias and tumors of the breasts and ovaries.
Mitotic Inhibitors
Mitosis is a cellular process in which the cells divide and multiply. After cells divide, the mother cell dies. In a cancer cell, mitosis continues and the cells do not die. This creates a tumor in the tissue. Mitotic inhibitors prevent the cell's ability to divide. This can be done in the DNA or by inhibiting the proteins responsible for mitosis. Mitotic inhibitors stop the cell division process, so tumors are not able to continue to grow.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are drugs used to kill the tumor cells. They are different from other chemotherapy tools in that they are natural circulating hormones in the body. These drugs are also useful for people who have severe vomiting episodes from other chemotherapy drugs. Corticosteroids can be used before, during or after other chemotherapy treatments. These drugs are used for lymphoma, leukemias and multiple myeloma.
Anthracyclines
Anthracyclines are a type of chemotherapy that interfere with the DNA similar to antibiotics. These drugs affect cells in all cycles of replication and proliferation. They affect cells in all stages of division, so they are given for a variety of cancer types. Anthracyclines have a severe side effect, which affects the heart if given in high-dose amounts.
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