Table 55-1.

An overview of anticancer drugs

Type
Group
Examples
Main mechanism
Alkylating and related Nitrogen mustards Cyclophosphamide,
Intrastrand crossagents
ifosfamide, chlorambucil, linking of DNA
melphalan, estramustine,
Nitrosoureas
Lomustine, carmustine,
Platinum compounds Carboplatin, cisplatin,
oxaliplatin
Other
Busulfan, treosulfan,
thiotepa, dacarbazine,
procarbazine, temozolimide
Antimetabolites
Folate antagonists Methotrexate, raltitrexed, Blocking the
pemetrexed
synthesis of DNA
and/or RNA
Pyrimdine pathway Fluorouracil, capecitabine,
cytarabine, gemcitabine,
tegafur
Purine pathway
Fludarabine, cladibrine,
mercaptopurine,
tioguanine, pentostatin,
clofarabrine, nelarabine
Cytotoxic antibiotics Anthracyclines
Daunorubicin, doxorubicin, Multiple effects on
epirubicin, idarubicin,
DNA/RNA
(mitoxantrine), (amascrine) synthesis and
topisomerase
action
Other
Bleomycin, dactinomycin,
mitomycin
Plant derivatives
Taxanes
Paclitaxel, docetaxel
Microtubule
Vinca alkaloids
Vinblastine, vincristine,
assembly; prevents
vindesine, vinorelbine
spindle formation
Campothecins
Irinotecan, topotecan,
Inhibition of
Other
trabectedin
topoisomerase
Etoposide
Hormones/antagonists Hormones/analogues Diethylstilbestrol,
Act as
ethinyloestradiol,
physiological
medroxyprogesterone,
antagonists,
megesterol, norhisterone, antagonists or
goserelin, leuporelin,
hormone synthesis
triptorelin, lanreotide,
inhibitors to
octreotide
disrupt hormonedependent tumour
Antagonists
Tamoxifen, toremifine,
growth
fulvestrant, cyproterone,
flutamide, bicalutamide
Aromatase inhibitors Anastrozole, letrozole,
exemastine
Protein kinase
Tyrosine kinase
Dasatinib, erlotinib,
Inhibition of
inhibitors
inhibitors
imatinib, nilotinib,
kinases involved in

Pan kinase inhibitors sunitinib

Sorafenib
Monoclonal antibodies Anti-EGF, EGF-2
Anti-CD20/CD52
Anti-VEGF

growth factor
receptor
transduction
Panitumumab, trastuzumab Blocks cell
proliferation
Rituximab, alemtuzumab Inhibition of
lymphocyte
proliferation
Bevacizumab
Prevents
angiogenesis

Drugs in parentheses have similar pharmacological actions but are not necessarily
chemically related.