Term | Definition |
How is chemotherapy used? | reduce the size or slow the growth of metastic cancer. |
Action of Chemotherapy | works by interfering with the cells’ replication process (ability to multiply or reproduce). |
What happens to the cell with chemotherapy? | The cell is damaged and causes cellular death |
Which cells are affected with chemotherapy? | Both malignant and normal cells are affected. |
Three types of rapidly dividing human cells and are also affected with chemotherapy. | Hematopoetic system. bone marrow cells.
Hair follicles.
GI system. |
Cancer drugs are also known as what type of drugs? | Antineoplastic |
Drugs that are cytotoxic in any phase of cell cycle are called what? | Cell cycle-nonspecific |
Alkylating Agents interfere with | DNA replication |
Examples of Alkylating Agents are | Cyclophosphamide, Cisplatin, and Carboplatin |
Antitumor Antibiotics inhibit what? | DNA and RNA synthesis |
Examples of Antitumor Antibiotics are | Bleomycin, Doxorubicin, and Mitoxantrone |
Drugs that are cytotoxic during a specific cell cycle phase are called | cell cycle-specific drugs |
Antimetabolites do what to cells in what phase? | the cell in the S phase |
Examples of Antimetabolites are | Cytarabine, Fluorouracil, and Methotrexate |
Vinca Alkaloids are what? | mitotic inhibitors and inhibit cell division during the M phase |
Examples of Vinca Alkaloids | Etoposide, Vinblastine, and Vincristine |
Miscellaneous chemotherapy agents include | hormonal drugs, radioactive drugs and other drugs that do not fit in other categories. |
A newer class of chemotherapy drugs is known as | Monoclonal antibodies |
What is beneficial about Monoclonal Antibodies? | . In cancer treatment they have advantages over traditional antineoplastics in that they can specifically target cancer cells and have minimal effect on healthy cells. |
Chemotherapy Side effects: Hematopoietic System | Patient must be monitored for bone marrow suppression. |
Neutropenia is | the loss of neutrophils |
Normal Values for neutrophils | 3000-7000/mm3 |
Neutropenia Value | <1000/mm3 |
Severe Neutropenia Value | <500/mm3 |
Without enough neutrophils, what happens to the body’s first line of defense | collapses, opening the way for pneumonia, septicemia, or other potentially overwhelming infections. |
Two mechanisms of Alopecia | Hair roots atrophied-hair falls out often in large clumps.
Hair shaft constricted-hair breaks off near the scalp for a patchy, thinning pattern of hair loss. |
Chemotherapy Side effects: GI system | Stomatitis.
N/V/D. |
What is extravastation? | the unintended leakage of a chemotherapy drug into the surrounding tissues outside of the IV line. |
What can extravastation cause? | severe tissue damage and necrosis |
Chemotherapy meds: Good to know! | These drugs may cause reproductive suppression or sterility. |
Narcotic opioids are classified as what? (pertaining to cancer) | drugs most often used to control advanced cancer pain. |