Any medication or therapy that kills or inhibits the growth of tumor cells is considered antineoplastic. They can include biologics, such as immunotherapy targeted therapy and radiation therapy. One category of antineoplastic medications is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy medications are all antineoplastic drugs, even if not all chemotherapy drugs are antineoplastic.
They are a crucial part of cancer treatment and can be applied in curative, adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and palliative settings, depending on the stage of the disease.
Antineoplastic medications function by concentrating on and thwarting the mechanisms that enable cancer cells to proliferate and divide uncontrolled. They have an impact on cancer cells' tendency to divide quickly. However, they can also harm the body's healthy cells that divide quickly. The aim is to selectively destroy cancer cells while causing the least injury to healthy cells.
Here is a list of some common antineoplastic drugs, categorized based on their classes and mechanisms of action:
- Alkylating Agents:
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cisplatin
- Carboplatin
- Ifosfamide
- Mechlorethamine (nitrogen mustard)
- Antimetabolites:
- Methotrexate
- 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)
- Capecitabine
- Gemcitabine
- Mercaptopurine
- Cytarabine (ara-C)
- Topoisomerase Inhibitors:
- Etoposide
- Doxorubicin (Anthracycline)
- Daunorubicin (Anthracycline)
- Irinotecan
- Topotecan
- Mitotic Inhibitors:
- Paclitaxel
- Docetaxel
- Vinblastine
- Vincristine
- Hormonal Therapies:
- Tamoxifen
- Letrozole
- Anastrozole
- Leuprolide
- Degarelix
- Targeted Therapies:
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
- Rituximab (Rituxan)
- Imatinib (Gleevec)
- Erlotinib (Tarceva)
- Bevacizumab (Avastin)
- Crizotinib (Xalkori)
- Palbociclib (Ibrance)
- Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
- Nivolumab (Opdivo)
- Immunotherapies:
- Interferons (e.g., Interferon-alpha)
- Interleukins (e.g., Aldesleukin)
- Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine
- Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
- Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
- Durvalumab (Imfinzi)
- Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah)
- Other Antineoplastic Agents:
- Hydroxyurea
- Procarbazine
- Mitotane
- L-asparaginase
Please be aware that this list is incomplete, and new antineoplastic medications are constantly being created and given clinical approval. The type of cancer being treated, the stage of the disease, the patient's general health, and other individual considerations all influence the precise drug combination and usage. For the most current and individualised information about antineoplastic medications and their application in the treatment of cancer, always seek the advice of a licensed healthcare expert.
