Cancer Drugs

Cancer drugs are classified by doctors depending on how they work in the body. These drugs are also known as “chemotherapy drugs”. These drugs can be different in terms of their chemical composition, how they are prescribed, how effective they are in treating certain types of cancer, and the side effects you experience after taking them.

Cancer Drugs List

Cancer treatments come in a variety of forms. Here is a list of medications available upon your doctor’s prescription:

Alkylating agents
Nitrosoureas
Antimetabolites
Antitumor antibiotics
Plant alkaloids
Corticosteroids

You may ask: how do these drugs help fight cancer? Well, chemotherapy or cancer drugs target cells at different cell cycle phases and eliminate the cancer-causing cells. However, these drugs cannot differentiate healthy cells from cancer cells. As a result, cancer drugs also harm and damage normal cells in the process. The good news is normal cells tend to recover quickly after treatment. Understanding how these drugs work helps doctors predict which drugs are a good combination for medication and can come up with a planned drug dosage based on the timing of the cell phases.

Some side effects:

Low blood counts
Tiredness
Mouth soreness
Nausea, vomiting
Loss of appetite
Constipation or diarrhea
Hair loss
Skin changes or reactions
Pain or nerve changes
Changes in fertility and sexuality

It is can be used alone or with other treatments, such as radiation therapy. The best type and combination will be determined by different factors, including cancer progression and the individual’s health in general.