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Table 55-1.

An overview of anticancer drugs


Type Group Examples Main mechanism
Alkylating and related
agents
Nitrogen mustards Cyclophosphamide,
ifosfamide, chlorambucil,
melphalan, estramustine,
ntrastrand cross-
lin!ing of "NA
Nitrosoureas #omustine, carmustine,
$latinum compounds Carboplatin, cisplatin,
o%aliplatin

&ther 'usulfan, treosulfan,
thiotepa, dacarba(ine,
procarba(ine, temo(olimide

Antimetabolites )olate antagonists *ethotre%ate, raltitre%ed,
pemetre%ed
'loc!ing the
synthesis of "NA
and+or ,NA
$yrimdine pathway )luorouracil, capecitabine,
cytarabine, gemcitabine,
tegafur

$urine pathway )ludarabine, cladibrine,
mercaptopurine,
tioguanine, pentostatin,
clofarabrine, nelarabine

Cytotoxic antibiotics Anthracyclines "aunorubicin, do%orubicin,
epirubicin, idarubicin,
-mito%antrine., -amascrine.
*ultiple effects on
"NA+,NA
synthesis and
topisomerase
action
&ther 'leomycin, dactinomycin,
mitomycin

Plant derivatives Ta%anes
/inca al!aloids
$aclita%el, doceta%el
/inblastine, vincristine,
vindesine, vinorelbine
*icrotubule
assembly0 prevents
spindle formation
Campothecins
&ther
rinotecan, topotecan,
trabectedin
1toposide
nhibition of
topoisomerase
Hormones/antagonists 2ormones+analogues "iethylstilbestrol,
ethinyloestradiol,
medro%yprogesterone,
megesterol, norhisterone,
goserelin, leuporelin,
triptorelin, lanreotide,
octreotide
Act as
physiological
antagonists,
antagonists or
hormone synthesis
inhibitors to
disrupt hormone-
dependent tumour
growth
Antagonists Tamo%ifen, toremifine,
fulvestrant, cyproterone,
flutamide, bicalutamide
Aromatase inhibitors Anastro(ole, letro(ole,
e%emastine
Protein kinase
inhibitors
Tyrosine !inase
inhibitors
"asatinib, erlotinib,
imatinib, nilotinib,
nhibition of
!inases involved in
$an !inase inhibitors sunitinib
3orafenib
growth factor
receptor
transduction
Monoclonal antibodies Anti-14), 14)-5 $anitumumab, trastu(umab 'loc!s cell
proliferation
Anti-C"56+C"55 ,itu%imab, alemtu(umab nhibition of
lymphocyte
proliferation
Anti-/14) 'evaci(umab $revents
angiogenesis
"rugs in parentheses have similar pharmacological actions but are not necessarily
chemically related.

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