Cancer is a very difficult diagnosis to deal with and patients need to discuss with their doctors what treatment they will undergo. Chemotherapy is a popular option, where the cancer patient receives the drugs either intravenously or orally. The chemotherapy drugs prevent the cancerous cells from reproducing, thus slowing the cancer's progression.
Alkylating Agents
Alkylating agents directly damage the DNA and prevent the cancerous cells from replicating, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Alkylating agents are used to treat acute and chronic leukemia, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple myeloma and sarcoma. In some patients, alkylating agents can cause long-term damage in the bone marrow; in rare cases, the drugs can cause acute leukemia. Five types of alkylating agents are used to treat cancer: nitrogen mustards (mechlorethamine, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and melphalan), nitrosoureas (streptozocin, carmustin and lomustine), alkyl sulfonates (busulfan), triazines (dacarbazine and temozolomide) and ethylenimines (thiotepa and altretamine).
Antimetabolites
Antimetabolites are another cancer drug option. These interfere with DNA and RNA growth, according to the ACS. Antimetabolites are used to treat leukemias, breast tumors, ovarian tumors and intestinal tract tumors. Examples of antimetabolites are 5-fluorouracil, capecitabine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, gemcitabine, cytarabine, fludarabine and pemetrexed.
Anthracyclines
Anthracyclines are anti-tumor antibiotics that disrupt DNA replication by interfering with enzymes; anthracyclines treat a variety of cancers. If patients are given high doses of anthracyclines, heart damage can occur. Types of anthracyclines used to treat cancer include daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin and idarubicin.
Topoisomerase Inhibitors
Topoisomerase inhibitors also prevent DNA replication of the cancer cells by interfering with the enzyme topoisomerase. Leukemia, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and gastrointestinal cancer can be treated with topoisomerase inhibitors. Two types of topoisomerase inhibitors exist: topoisomerase I inhibitors (topotecan and irinotecan) and topoisomerase II inhibitors (etoposide and teniposode).
Mitotic Inhibitors
Mitotic inhibitors work by either stopping mitosis or prohibiting protein production, according to the ACS. Mitotic inhibitors treat breast cancer, lung cancer, myelomas, lymphomas and leukemias. However, mitotic inhibitors can cause peripheral nerve damage in some patients. Examples of mitotic inhibitors are taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel), epothilones (ixabepilone), vinca alkaloids (vinblastine, vincristine and vinorelbine) and estramustine.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are cancer drugs that act as either an anti-emetic medication or a chemotherapy medication. For example, the corticosteroids prevent nausea, vomiting and allergic reactions of chemotherapy. Corticosteroids also slow the growth of cancer cells in lymphoma, leukemias and multiple myeloma. Prednisone, methylprednisolone and dexamethasone are all types of corticosteroids used in cancer treatment.
