Figure 2. Classes of antineoplastic agents used as chemotherapy and representatives of each class.

Anticancer drugs are divided into four groups: (1) cytotoxic (e.g., anthracyclines, antimetabolic, alkylating agents, and derivatives of plants); (2) kinase inhibitors (e.g., analogs, antagonists, and aromatase inhibitors; (3) hormones, (e.g., tyrosine kinase and pan-kinase inhibitors); and (4) monoclonal antibodies (e.g., trastuzumab, anti-EGF, anti-CD20, anti-CD3, and anti-VEGF).

EGF: epidermal growth factor; CD: cluster of differentiation; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor