Table 2.
An overview of chemotherapeutic agents, their mechanism of action and indication.
| Class of chemotherapy | Subtype | Drugs | Mechanism of action | Indication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alkylating agents | Nitrogen mustards | Cyclophosphamide, Melphalan, Ifosfamide, Chlorambucil, Busulfan | Alkylate proteins, RNA and DNA. Covalently bind to DNA via alkyl group causing intra and interstrand cross-links | Multiple myeloma, sarcoma, breast cancer, lymphoma |
| Nitrosoureas | Carmustine, Lomustine, Stretozotocin | Glioblastoma multiforme | ||
| Tetrazines | Dacarbazine, Temozolamide | Glioblastoma multiforme, Hodgkin’s lymphoma | ||
| Aziridines | Mytomycin | Gastric cancer | ||
| Platinums | Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Oxaliplatin | Ovarian, gastric, lung, head and neck cancer, sarcoma | ||
| Antimetabolites | Anti-folates | Methotrexate, Pemetrexed | Inhibit enzymes essential for thymidylate and purine production | Lung cancer, sarcoma |
| Antimicrotubule agents | Vinca alkaloids | Vincristine, Vinblastine, Vinorelbine | Bind to tubulin inhibiting assembly into microtubules | Lung cancer |
| Taxanes | Docetaxel, Paclitaxel | Promote microtubule stability, preventing disassembly | Breast, ovarian cancer | |
| Topoisomerase inhibitors | Topoisomerase I inhibitors | Irinotecan, Topotecan, Camptothecin | Block unwinding of the DNA double strand helix and prevent DNA synthesis and translation | Lung cancer, colorectal cancer |
| Topoisomerase II inhibitors | Etoposide, Doxorubicin | Lung cancer, sarcoma | ||
| Cytotoxic antibiotics | Anthracyclines | Doxorubicin, Epirubicin | Intercalates DNA, topoisomerase II inhibitor, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), DNA adduct formation | Breast cancer, oesophageal cancer |
| Bleomycins | Bleomycin | Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular cancer |