Cytotoxic drug
Cytotoxic drug
Cytotoxic drugs (pronunciation: sy-toh-TOX-ik drugs) are a category of pharmaceuticals specifically designed to kill or inhibit the growth of cells that are rapidly dividing and growing, such as cancer cells.
Etymology
The term "cytotoxic" is derived from the Greek words "kytos" meaning "cell" and "toxicos" meaning "poison". Thus, cytotoxic drugs are essentially "cell poisons".
Mechanism of Action
Cytotoxic drugs work by disrupting the cell cycle and preventing cells from dividing and replicating. They achieve this by damaging the DNA or the cellular machinery used for cell division. This makes them particularly effective against cancer cells, which divide and grow at an abnormally rapid rate.
Types of Cytotoxic Drugs
There are several types of cytotoxic drugs, including alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumor antibiotics, topoisomerase inhibitors, and mitotic inhibitors. Each of these types works in a slightly different way to stop cell division and growth.
Side Effects
Like all drugs, cytotoxic drugs can have side effects. These can include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. Because they target rapidly dividing cells, they can also affect healthy cells in the body, such as those in the gastrointestinal tract, hair follicles, and bone marrow.
Related Terms
- Chemotherapy: A type of cancer treatment that uses one or more cytotoxic drugs to kill cancer cells.
- Neoadjuvant therapy: Treatment given before the main treatment. It often involves the use of cytotoxic drugs.
- Adjuvant therapy: Treatment given after the main treatment to lower the risk of the cancer coming back. It may also involve the use of cytotoxic drugs.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Cytotoxic drug
- Wikipedia's article - Cytotoxic drug
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