Anti Cancer Drugs Short Essay Question And Answers

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Anti Cancer Drugs Important Notes

1. Methotrexate

  • It is the folic acid antagonist
  • Has antineoplastic activity
  • Extensively used as a chemotherapeutic agent

Read And Learn More: Pharmacology Question and Answers

Anti Cancer Drugs Short Essays

Question 1. Toxic effects of alkylating agents.
Answer:

Alkylating agents produce highly reactive carbonium ion intermediates which transfer alkyl groups to cellular macromolecules by forming covalent bonds.
They are:

1. Nitrogen mustards.

  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Ifosfamide.
  • Chlorambucil.
  • Melphalan.

2. Alkyl sulfonate-busulfan.

3. Nitrosoureas – lomustine.

4. Triazine – dacarbazine.

Toxic effects of alkylating agents:

1. Bone marrow depression.

  • It results in granulocytopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and aplastic anemia.

2. Immunosuppression.

  • Lymphocytopenia and inhibition of lymphocyte function result in suppression of immunity.

3. GIT disturbances.

  • Stomatitis, diarrhea, shedding of mucosa, and hemorrhages occur.
  • Nausea and vomiting are prominent

4. Skin and hair.

  • Alopecia – loss of hair and dermatitis occurs.

5. Gonads.

  • Inhibition of gonadal cells causes.
    • Oligozoospermia and impotence – in males.
    • Inhibition of ovulation and amenorrhoea in females.

6. Foetus.

  • Damages foetus.
  • Leads to abortion, fetal death, and teratogenesis.

7. Carcinogenicity.

  • Secondary cancers appear frequently due to immunosuppression.

8. Hyperuricaemia.

  • Massive cell destruction produces uric acid.
  • Gout and urate stones in the urinary tract may develop.

Question 2. Vinca alkaloids.
Answer:

  • Vinca alkaloids are spindle poison.
  • They are mitotic inhibitors.

Vinca alkaloids Mechanism of action:

Anti Cancer Drugs Vinca Alkaloids Mechanism Of Action

Vinca alkaloids: are

  • Vincristine
  • Vinblastine
  • Vinorelbine.

Anti Cancer Drugs Vinca Alkaloids

Question 3. Two antimetabolites are used in cancer therapy.
Answer:

Antimetabolites are analogs related to the normal components of DNA. Involved in nucleic acid synthesis.

  • They competitively inhibit the utilization of normal substrate.

1. Folate antagonist – methotrexate.

Anti Cancer Drugs Floate Antagonist-Methotrexate

Folate antagonist- methotrexate Action:

  • Cytotoxic actions on bone marrow, skin, gastrointestinal m synthesis.

Folate antagonist- methotrexate Uses:

  • Choriocarcinoma.
  • Acute leukemia.
  • Carcinoma of tongue/pharynx/lung.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Psoriasis.
  • Organ transplantation.

Folate antagonist- methotrexate Treatment of toxicity:

  • Methotrexate toxicity is treated with folinic acid.
  • It reverses the effects of methotrexate.

2. Purine antagonists – mercaptopurine.

Treatment of toxicity mercaptopurine Mechanism of action:

Anti Cancer Drugs Treatment Of Toxicity Mechanism Of Action

Treatment of toxicity Uses:

  • Acute leukemia in children.
  • Choriocarcinoma.
  • Some solid tumors.

Treatment of toxicity Adverse effects:

  • Bone marrow depression.
  • Anorexia.
  • Nausea, vomiting.
  • Stomatitis.
  • Jaundice.
  • Dermatitis.

Question 4. Methods to ameliorate the toxicity of anticancer drugs.
Answer:

Anti Cancer Drugs Methods To Ameliorate The Toxicity Of Anticancer Drugs

Question 5. Methotrexate.
Answer:

  • It is an anticancer drug
  • It is a folate antagonist

Methotrexate Mechanism:

  • Binds to dihydrofolate reductase
  • Prevents the formation of tetrahydrofolate

Methotrexate Action:

  • Cytotoxic actions on bone marrow, skin, GIT, and synthesis

Methotrexate Dose:

  • Initial 7.5 mg once weekly
  • Increased by 2.5 mg weekly
  • Maximum weekly dose – 30 mg

Methotrexate Uses:

  • Choriocarcinoma
  • Acute leukemia
  • Carcinoma of tongue/ pharynx/ lung
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriasis
  • Organ transplantation

Methotrexate Adverse Effects:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Mucosal ulcers
  • Hepatotoxicity
  • Treatment of Toxicity:
  • Methotrexate toxicity is treated with folinic acid
  • It reverses the effects of methotrexate

Anti Cancer Drugs Short Question And Answers

Question 1. Nitrogen mustards.
Answer:

Nitrogen mustards are alkylating agents.

Anti Cancer Drugs Nitrogen Mustards

Question 2. Name antibiotics used in cancer therapy.
Answer:

Antibiotics used in cancer therapy are.

  1. Actinomycin D.
  2. Daunorubicin.
  3. Doxorubicin.
  4. Bleomycin.

Question 3. Name vinca alkaloids.
Answer:

Vinca alkaloids are mitotic inhibitors.

  • They are.
  1. Vincristine
  2. Vinblastine
  3. Vinorelbine.

Question 4. Antimetabolites.
Answer:

Antimetabolites are analogs related to the normal components of DNA involved in nucleic acid synthesis.

They are:

1. Folate antagonist.

  • Methotrexate.

2. Purine antagonist

  • Mercaptopurine.
  • Thioguanine.
  • Azathioprine.

3. Pyrimidine antagonists.

  • Fluorouracil.
  • Cytarabine.

Question 5. Cyclophosphamide.
Answer:

  • Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent
  • It is converted to its active metabolite aldophosphamide in the body.
  • It is more effective on B cells than T cells.

Cyclophosphamide Uses:

  • Bone marrow transplantation.
  • Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
  • Leukemia.
  • Maintenance therapy in pemphigus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Cyclophosphamide Toxic effects:

  • It causes cystitis due to its active metabolite caroline.
  • Prevent by.
  1. IV mesna.
  2. Irrigating bladder with acetylcysteine.
  3. Intake of excessive fluids.

Question 6. Oxythiamine.
Answer:

  • It is an irreversible inhibitor of transketolase
  • It is an antivitamin derivative of thiamine which after phosphorylation to oxy thiamine pyrophosphate can bind to the active centers of thiamine-dependent enzymes

Oxythiamine Action:

  • It is analog to antimetabolite
  • Suppresses the nonoxidative synthesis of ribose
  • Induces cell apoptosis

Oxythiamine Mechanism of Action:

Inhibits transketolase
↓
Suppresses pentose phosphate pathway
↓
Interrupts the synthesis of coenzymes, RNA, and DNA in
cancer cells

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