Chemotherapy is used to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing. It uses various drugs to cure the cancer during its different stages. Most people are not aware of the types of drugs used during chemotherapy and why they are used. Learning about the drug categories, their purpose, and its contents would help patients to know about the treatment options. Chemotherapy chemicals or the drug categories are prescribed based on the cancer type and its stage. Before applying for any type of chemotherapy, you should ask questions related to chemotherapy to your doctor to get in detail information about the process.

There are about 300 drugs used in chemotherapy but they usually fall into any one of the four categories that are antimetabolites, topoisomerase inhibitors, alkylating agents, and anthracyclines. Chemotherapy drugs are a combination of any of these drugs. These drugs have proved very helpful for cancer patients to eliminate the disease. In some cases, the chemotherapy regimen is changed if the patient shows resistance to any of the prescribed drugs. Chemotherapy mainly involves using different drugs or chemicals. For treating breast cancer, breast cancer chemotherapy drugs are used.

Antimetabolites

Cancer cells are living cells so they need food and water to continue their growth. Antimetabolite stops the cancer cells’ ability to convert food into energy. Drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine and 5-azacitidine are given intravenously or subcutaneously to cure the disease. Some patients are also given the drugs orally.

Topoisomerase Inhibitors

Topoisomerase inhibitors prevent cancer cells from reproducing by breaking the DNA structure of the cells. This prevents bonding between the cells. Topoisomerase inhibitors act in the same manner as alkylating agents, but unlike the alkylating agents, they attack the DNA during actual reproduction compared with alkylating agents that attack after reproduction. Some of the common topoisomerase inhibitors are Camptothecan, CPT-11, and Taxol. Taxol chemotherapy is mainly used for treating different cancers like breast cancer, prostate bladder and melanoma cancer. A majority of these drugs are given intravenously.

Alkylating Agents

Alkylating agents destroy the cancer cells DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid, thus preventing them from spreading or reproducing. This drug also prevents the growth of the tumor although not all cancers grow into tumor. Chemotherapy alkylating agents include abraxane, cyclophosphamide, and mechlorethamine hydrochloride. In most cases, these are administered intravenously.

Anthracyclines

Anthracyclines cause damage to the free radicals of the cells by stripping the protective layer that cancer cells have. It causes damage to the ribose of the DNA and hence disrupts its reproduction. Common anthracyclines drugs include Doxorubicin, Mitoxantrone, and Daunorubicin. These drugs are also given intravenously as they cause damage to the tissue and blistering, if the drug encounters bloodstream.

There are also many other drugs involved in chemotherapy that include, corticosteroids, hormone inhibitors and a few other drugs prescribed to control the side effects arising from chemotherapy. All these medications add on to the chemical intake during chemotherapy, which further question the purpose and the effects of the medications. Chemotherapy patients need to consult with oncologist and other medical advisors including the cancer support and information group to know more about the medications and its effects in the long run.