Anticancer Drugs is an international medical journal, which aims to promote and encourage research on anti-cancer agents. It was first published in 1990 and it includes reports on clinical and experimental research results, from conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy to hormonal or biological response modalities.
Classification of anticancer drugs
1. Polyfunctional alkylating agents
- Nitrosoureas
- Mustards (Nitrogen Mustards)
- Methanesulphonates (Busulphan)
- Ethylenimines
2. Other Alkylating Drugs
- Procarbazine (Matulane)
- Dacarbazine (DTIC)
- Altretamine (Hexalen)
- Cisplatin (Platinol)
3. Antimetabolites
- Antifolic acid compounds (Methotrexate)
- Amino acid Antagonists (Azaserine)
4. Purine antagonists
- Mercaptopurine (6-MP)
- Thioguanine (6-TG)
- Fludarabine Phosphate
- Cladribine (Leustatin)
- Pentostatin (Nipent)
5. Pyrimidine antagonists
- Fluorouracil (5-FU)
- Cytarabine (ARA-C)
- Azacitidine
6. Plant alkaloids
- Adult enuresis
- Vinblastine (Velban)
- Vincristine (Oncovin)
- Etoposide (VP-16,VePe-sid)
- Teniposide (Vumon)
- Topotecan (Hycamtin)
- Irinotecan (Camptosar)
- Paclitaxel (Taxol)
- Docetaxel (Taxotere)
7. Antibiotics
- Anthracyclines
- Doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Rubex, Doxil)
- Daunorubicin (DaunoXome)
- Dactinomycin (Cosmegen)
- Idarubincin (Idamycin)
- Plicamycin (Mithramycin)
- Mitomycin (Mutamycin)
- Bleomycin (Blenoxane)
8. Monoclonal Antibodies
- Introduction
- Examples
9. Hormonal agents
- Adult enuresis
- Introduction
- Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)
- Flutamide (Eulexin)
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists
- (Leuprolide and Goserelin (Zoladex))
- Aromatase Inhibitors
- Aminoglutethimide
- Anastrozole (Arimidex)
10. Miscellaneous anticancer drugs
- Adult enuresis
- Amsacrine
- Hydroxyurea (Hydrea)
- Asparaginase (El-spar)
- Mitoxantrone (Novantrone)
- Mitotane
- Retinoic Acid Derivatives
- Bone Marrow Growth Factors
- Amifostine
Mechanism of action of Anticancer Drugs
Anticancer drugs compete with hypoxanthine and guanine for the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase) and are itself converted to thioinosinic acid (TIMP). This intracellular nucleotide inhibits several reactions involving inosinic acid (IMP), including the conversion of IMP to xanthylic acid (XMP) and the conversion of IMP to adenylic acid (AMP) via adenylosuccinate (SAMP). In addition, 6-methylthioinosinate (MTIMP) is formed by the methylation of TIMP. Both TIMP and MTIMP have been reported to inhibit glutamine-5-phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase, the first enzyme unique to the de novo pathway for purine ribonucleotide synthesis. Experiments indicate that radiolabeled mercaptopurine may be recovered from the DNA in the form of deoxythioguanosine. Some mercaptopurine is converted to nucleotide derivatives of 6-thioguanine (6-TG) by the sequential actions of inosinate (IMP) dehydrogenase and xanthate (XMP) aminase, converting TIMP to thioguanylic acid (TGMP).
Indications of Anticancer Drugs
- Crohn’s disease,
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Intestinal arterial insufficiency
- Ulcerative colitis, maintenance
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemias
- Acute promyelocytic leukaemia
- Hepatitis, autoimmune
- Lymphoma, lymphoblastic
- Ulcerative colitis
- Anticancer drugs are approved to be used with other drugs to treat: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). It is used as maintenance therapy in adults and children.
- Anticancer drugs are indicated for maintenance therapy of acute lymphatic (lymphocytic, lymphoblastic) leukaemia as part of a combination regimen. The response to this agent depends upon the particular subclassification of acute lymphatic leukaemia and the age of the patient (pediatric or adult).
- Anticancer drugs are not effective for prophylaxis or treatment of central nervous system leukaemia.
- Anticancer drugs are also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.
Contra-Indications of Anticancer Drugs
- Extreme loss of body water
- Decreased function of bone marrow
- Anemia
- Decreased blood platelets
- Decreased white blood cells
- Decreased neutrophils a type of white blood cell
- Stomach or intestinal ulcer
- Liver Problems
- Blockage of normal bile flow
- Acute inflammation of the pancreas
- kidney disease with reduction in kidney function
- High amount of bilirubin in the blood
- Ascites
- Abnormal liver function tests
- Pregnancy
- Thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency
- Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma
Side effects of Anticancer Drugs
The most common
- stomach or abdominal cramps, gas, or pain
- chest pain
- headache
- joint painPain
- dizziness
- nausea and vomiting
- Severe stomach ache
- epigastric pain,
- fever, night sweats, weight loss, tiredness;
- feeling full after eating only a small amount;
- pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder;
- easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate;
- nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
More common
- Black, tarry stools
- clay colored stools
- cough or hoarseness
- dark urine
- decreased appetite
- fever or chills
- headache
- loss of appetite
- lower back or side pain
- nausea, vomiting
- painful or difficult urination
- pinpoint red spots on the skin
- rash, itchy skin
- stomach pain or tenderness
- swelling of the feet or lower legs
Less common
- Darkening of the skin
- headache
- Hair loss or thinning of the hair
- low sperm count
- Bleeding gums
- chest pain
- joint pain
- pale skin
- sore throat
- sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
- swollen glands
Drug Interactions of Anticancer Drugs
Anticancer drugs may interact with the following drugs, supplements& may change the drug efficacy
- allopurinol
- amphotericin B
- azathioprine
- clozapine
- denosumab
- immunosuppressants (e.g., prednisone, dexamethasone, tacrolimus, cyclosporine)
- echinacea
- febuxostat
- leflunomide
- mesalamine
- natalizumab
- pimecrolimus
- olsalazine
- other cancer medications (e.g., cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide)
- sulfamethoxazole
- sulfasalazine
- trastuzumab
- trimethoprim
- vaccines (e.g., yellow fever, BCG, cholera, typhoid, varicella, meningococcal, diphtheria)
- warfarin