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. And, last but not least, one drug may be found in various categories as they may have several effects on the body of the patient. Doctors have a very precise duty of getting fully informed about chemotherapy drugs and know how to combine them or in what order to prescribe them to cancer patients.

Alkylating agents is a first class of chemotherapy drugs worth mentioning. These drugs have a very destructive effect on the bone marrow because they destroy the DNA to prevent the cancerous cells from reproduction. 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. The platinum based drugs are sometimes included in the same category because they act in a very similar manner against the disease.

Antimetabolites are another distinct class of chemotherapy drugs. 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 represent another variety of chemotherapy drugs included into the antibiotic group. Their action is directed against enzymes that help in DNA replication and they are encountered in a wide variety of cancer treatments.

The category of inhibitors comes next. 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. Even so, cancer patients undergo a huge risk with any chemical treatment they follow: these chemotherapy drugs could cause peripheral nerve damage to mention only one of the health threats you may fear.

Finally, the corticosteroids are chemotherapy drugs based on hormones and meant 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