Chemotherapy Drugs

Chemotherapy drugs are pretty numerous and they fall into various categories following such criteria as the way they work, the relationship they establish with other drugs and the chemical structure they have. The origin of most drugs is in herbal extracts that are afterwards processed and combined in laboratories. Don’t be surprised to find a drug classified in more categories, because there are many such cases in the medical world. Medical science and professional competence in the health care realm involves a good knowledge of chemotherapy drugs and their specificity.

A first category of chemotherapy drugs is the one relying on alkylating agents. These drugs are pretty damaging to the bone marrow because they destroy the DNA to stop the reproduction of the cancerous cells. This type of chemotherapy drugs is used in a wide variety of cancers and it is recommended only in small dosage to reduce the risk of leukemia that may appear 5 or 10 years after following the recommended chemotherapy treatment. Platinum based medication is classified together with alkylating agents because of the similarity in their action.

Another category of chemotherapy drugs is the one consisting of antimetabolites. They are used in treating ovary and intestinal cancers, breast tumors and leukemia and their impact is not limited to the DNA but also extends to the RNA too.

The anthracyclines are another type of chemotherapy drugs being part of the antibiotic group. They work against enzymes that help in DNA replication which is why they prove efficient in a large number of cancer cases.

Next is the category of inhibitors. The topoisomerase inhibitors separate and copy the DNA strands being helpful for the treatment of leukemia besides many other types of cancer. With a more natural preponderance because of their herbal origin, mitotic inhibitors prevent the production of proteins necessary for the cancer cells growth. However, there is one huge risk that patients take when following such a treatment: these chemotherapy drugs could cause peripheral nerve damage to count just one the health threats you may fear.

Last but not least, the corticosteroids represent chemotherapy drugs derived from hormones and designed to treat lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma together with other diseases. In addition to reducing the cancer cellular growth, they also have a good impact on the way the body reacts to chemotherapy by reducing the possibility of developing allergic reactions or digestive side effects such as vomiting and nausea. These types of drugs may be used as chemotherapy ones or not, depending on the purpose they are supposed to serve.

Filed Under: Chemotherapy