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The Different Types of Chemotherapy Drugs

Miscellaneous Chemotherapy Drugs

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© American Cancer Society 2010

Some chemotherapy drugs act in slightly different ways and do not fit well into any of the other categories.

Examples include drugs such as L-asparaginase, which is an enzyme, and the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade ').

Other types of cancer drugs

Some other drugs and biological treatments are used to treat cancer but are not usually considered to be "chemotherapy." While chemotherapy drugs take advantage of the fact that cancer cells divide rapidly, these other drugs target different properties that set cancer cells apart from normal cells. They often have less serious side effects than those commonly caused by chemotherapy drugs because they are targeted to work mainly on cancer cells, not normal, healthy cells. Many are used along with chemotherapy.

Targeted therapies: As researchers have come to learn more about the inner workings of cancer cells, they have begun to create new drugs that attack cancer cells more specifically than traditional chemotherapy drugs can. Most attack cells with mutant versions of certain genes, or cells that express too many copies of a particular gene. These drugs can be used as part of primary treatment or after treatment to maintain remission or decrease recurrence.

Only a handful of these drugs are available at this time. Examples include imatinib (Gleevec '), gefitinib (Iressa '), erlotinib (Tarceva '), and bortezomib (Velcade '). Targeted therapies are a huge research focus and there will likely many more developed in the future.

Differentiating agents act on the cancer cells to make them mature into normal cells. Examples include the retinoids, tretinoin (ATRA or Atralin ') and bexarotene (Targretin '), as well as arsenic trioxide (Arsenox ')

Hormone therapy: Drugs in this category are sex hormones, or hormone-like drugs, that alter the action or production of female or male hormones. They are used to slow the growth of breast, prostate, and endometrial (uterine) cancers, which normally grow in response to natural hormones in the body. These cancer treatment hormones do not work in the same ways as standard chemotherapy drugs, but rather by preventing the cancer cell from using the hormone it needs to grow, or by preventing the body from making the hormones.

Examples include the anti-estrogens fulvestrant (Faslodex)

Some chemotherapy drugs act in slightly different ways and do not fit well into any of the other categories.Examples include drugs such as L-asparaginase, which is an enzyme, and the proteosome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade ').

Other types of cancer drugs

Some other drugs and biological treatments are used to treat cancer but are not usually considered to be "chemotherapy." While chemotherapy drugs take advantage of the fact that cancer cells divide rapidly, these other drugs target different properties that set cancer cells apart from normal cells. They often have less serious side effects than those commonly caused by chemotherapy drugs because they are targeted to work mainly on cancer cells, not normal, healthy cells. Many are used along with chemotherapy.

Targeted therapies: As researchers have come to learn more about the inner workings of cancer cells, they have begun to create new drugs that attack cancer cells more specifically than traditional chemotherapy drugs can. Most attack cells with mutant versions of certain genes, or cells that express too many copies of a particular gene. These drugs can be used as part of primary treatment or after treatment to maintain remission or decrease recurrence.

Only a handful of these drugs are available at this time. Examples include imatinib (Gleevec '), gefitinib (Iressa '), erlotinib (Tarceva '), and bortezomib (Velcade '). Targeted therapies are a huge research focus and there will likely many more developed in the future.

Differentiating agents act on the cancer cells to make them mature into normal cells. Examples include the retinoids, tretinoin (ATRA or Atralin ') and bexarotene (Targretin), as well as arsenic trioxide (Arsenox)

Hormone therapy: Drugs in this category are sex hormones, or hormone-like drugs, that alter the action or production of female or male hormones. They are used to slow the growth of breast, prostate, and endometrial (uterine) cancers, which normally grow in response to natural hormones in the body. These cancer treatment hormones do not work in the same ways as standard chemotherapy drugs, but rather by preventing the cancer cell from using the hormone it needs to grow, or by preventing the body from making the hormones.

Examples include:

  • The anti-estrogens fulvestrant (Faslodex '), tamoxifen, and toremifene (Fareston )
  • Aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole (Arimidex '), exemestane (Aromasin '), letrozole (Femara '),
  • Progestins - megestrol acetate (Megace '),
  • Estrogens
  • Anti-androgens - bicalutamide (Casodex '), flutamide (Eulexin '), and nilutamde (Nilandro ')
  • LHRH agonists - leuprolide (Lupron '), goserelin (Zoladex ').

Immunotherapy: Some drugs are given to people with cancer to stimulate their natural immune systems to more effectively recognize and attack cancer cells. These drugs offer a unique method of treatment, and are often considered to be separate from "chemotherapy." Compared to other forms of cancer treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, immunotherapy is still relatively new.

There are different types of immunotherapy. Active immunotherapies stimulate the body's own immune system to fight the disease. Passive immunotherapies do not rely on the body to attack the disease; instead, they use immune system components (such as antibodies) created outside of the body.

Types of immunotherapies include:

  • monoclonal antibody therapy (passive immunotherapies) -- examples include rituximab (Rituxan '), alemtuzumab (Campath ')
  • non-specific immunotherapies and adjuvants (other substances or cells that boost the immune response) -- such as BCG, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-alpha
  • immunomodulating drugs such as thalidomide and lenalidomide (Revlimid ')
  • cancer vaccines (active specific immunotherapies) -- although several vaccines are being studied, as of early 2010 there are no FDA-approved vaccines to treat cancer

For more specific information on these types of drugs see the American Cancer Society document, Immunotherapy offsite link. You can get this document by calling 800.ACS.2345. For information about immunotherapy side effects, click here offsite link


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