Anticancer drugs

• Anticancer drugs, are medications used to treat cancer by killing, shrinking, or slowing the growth of cancer cells.
• Any drug that is effective in the treatment of malignant, or cancerous, disease is said to be anticancer drug.
• Anticancer drugs are also known as also known as antineoplastic drugs
• The main goals of anticancer drugs are to:
  • Eliminate cancer cells
  • Shrink the tumor
  • Prevent cancer from spreading and
  • Relieve symptoms from cancer

Classification:

1. Alkylating agents:
   • Nitrogen mustards: Mechlorethamine, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, melphalan, chlorambucil
   • Alkyl sulphonate: Busulphan
   • Nitrosoureas: Carmustine, lomustine
   • Triazene: Dacarbazine
   • Ethylnimine: Thiotepa
2. Platinum-containing compounds: Cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin
3. Antimetabolites:
   • Folate antagonist: Methotrexate
   • Purine antagonists: 6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP), 6-thioguanine (6-TG), azathioprine
   • Pyrimidine antagonists: 5-FU, cytarabine, capecitabine, gemcitabine
4. Microtubul damaging agents:
   • Vinca alkaloids: Vinblastine, vincristine
   • Taxanes: Paclitaxel, docetaxel
   • Estramustine
5. Epipodophyllotoxins: Etoposide, teniposide
6. Camptothecins: Topotecan, irinotecan
7. Antibiotics: Actinomycin D, bleomycin, mitomycin C, doxorubicin, daunorubicin
8. Enzyme: l-Asparaginase
9. Miscellaneous agents: Hydroxyurea, tretinonin
10. Targeted drugs:
    • Angiogenesis inhibitors: Sunitinib, bevacizumab
    • Tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors: Imatinib, nilotinib
    • EGF receptor inhibitors: Gefitinib, cetuximab, erotinib
    • Proteasome inhibitor: Bortezomib
    • Monoclonal antibody: Rituximab
11. Hormones and antagonists:
    • Oestrogens: Ethinyl estradiol, fosfestrol
    • Selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs): Tamoxifen
    • Selective oestrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs): Fulvestrant
    • Aromatase inhibitors: Anastrozole, letrozole
    • Progestins: Hydroxyprogesterone caproate, medroxyprogesterone acetate
    • Antiandrogen: Flutamide
    • 5-Reductase inhibitor: Finasteride
    • GnRH analogues: Buserelin, goserelin, nafarelin
    • Corticosteroids: Prednisolone and others
    (Natural products: Vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel (from plants), doxorubicin, daunorubicin, mitomycin, L-asparginase from micro-organisms).