Types of Chemo, etc. - Drug and Treatment Information Links - updated regularly

Information about conventional breast cancer treatments - inc surgery, chemo, rads, hormonal, reconstruction, lymphedema, side effects
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cheryl
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Types of Chemo, etc. - Drug and Treatment Information Links - updated regularly

Postby cheryl » Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:14 am


See also:
Search for consumer medicine information leaflets on .
has a list of chemo drugs - individual, combination, and lots of information in plain english. The Cancerbackup site also has information and illustrations of .
has very readable information on all types of cancer treatments including .
American Cancer Society's - search for drug by generic or trade name
- This is an online searchable version of the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits. It contains:
- all of the drugs listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS);
- information on the arrangements for the prescribing of pharmaceutical benefits by approved pharmacists, approved medical practitioners and approved hospital authorities;
- detailed consumer information for pharmaceutical drugs that have been prescribed by your doctor or dentist;
- what you can expect to pay for pharmaceutical drugs.
for info about herbs and other 'natural' remedies.

Notes:
CMI = Consumer Medicine Information Leaflet (fairly user-friendly)
Merck = drug information from Merck (not so user-friendly)


CHEMOTHERAPY (CYTOTOXIC) AGENTS IN COMMON USE:
5FU (fluorouracil) - -
Abraxane (albumin-bound paclitaxel) - -
Adriamycin (doxorubicin) - -
Avastin (bevacizumab) -
Caelyx (Doxil, liposomal doxorubicin) -
Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) - -
Ellence (epirubicin) - -
Gemzar (gemcitabine) -
Methotrexate (methotrexate) -
Paraplatin (carboplatin) -
Navelbine (vinorelbine) - - -
Platinol (cisplatin) -
Taxol (paclitaxel) - -
Taxotere (docetaxel) - - -
Temodar (temozolomide) (in brain mets) -
Xeloda (capecitabine) - - . Note: The medicine in XELODA tablets, is converted by the liver and cancer cells to fluorouracil (5-FU).

BIOLOGICALS/TARGETED THERAPIES IN COMMON USE:
Avastin (bevacizumab) -
Herceptin (trastuzumab) -
Tykerb (lapatinib) -

HORMONAL AGENTS IN COMMON USE:
Arimidex (anastrozole) -
Aromasin (exemestane) -
Faslodex (fulvestrant) - -
Femara (letrozole) -
Nolvadex (tamoxifen) - - -
Zoladex (goserelin) - -
Lupron (leuprolide acetate)

BISPHOSPHONATES:
Aredia (pamidronate) -
Zometa (zoledronate) -
Bonefos (clodronate) Oral -

GROWTH FACTORS IN COMMON USE:
Aranesp (darbopoetin alfa) -
Epogen (epoetin alfa) -
Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) -
Neupogen (filgrastim) -

LESS COMMON/OLDER HORMONAL AGENTS:
Megace, Megastat, (megestrol acetate) -
Fareston (toremifene) -
Halotestin (fluoxymesterone)
High-dose estrogen
Provera (Medroxyprogesterone acetate) - -

LESS COMMON/OLDER CHEMOTHERAPY AGENTS:
BCNU (carmustine) -
Camptosar (irinotecan) -
Mutomycin (mitomycin C) -
Alkeran (melphalan) -
Novantrone (mitoxantrone) -
Oncovin (vincristine) -
Theoplex (thiotepa) -
Velbane (vinblastine) -
VePesid (VP-16) -

APPROVED TARGETED THERAPIES, STILL IN TRIALS,
NOT IN COMMON USE IN BREAST CANCER

Erbitux (cetuximab) -
Iressa (gefitinib) -
Ixabepilone (epothilone) -
Sutent (sunitinib) -
Tarceva (erlotinib) -

COMBINED CHEMOs
AC± T === Adriamycin with cyclosphosphamide, with or without Taxol or Taxotere
TAC=== involves the same medicines as above but in a different order.
AT=== Adriamycin with Taxol or Taxotere.
EC === epirubicin, cyclophosphamide
FEC=== 5FU, Epirubicin, Cyclophosphamide
CMF=== cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil 5FU
CAF or FAC=== cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, and fluorouracil in different orders

___________________________________________


Most chemotherapy drugs work by interrupting cell division to kill rapidly dividing cells. But within this broad strategy, different drugs have different modes of attack. To reflect these differences, oncologists have divided chemotherapy drugs into distinct classes based on subtle differences in the way they work. Some halt cell division by changing the structure or function of DNA, the cell's instruction manual, thereby causing cell death. Others masquerade as the chemical building blocks used to make new DNA, RNA or proteins, tricking the cells into thinking they are running normally when they've actually been stopped cold. There are so many drugs that doctors have developed a shorthand of initials for the ones used most. Here is a summary of the most common chemotherapy classes and the drugs they contain:

Alkylating Agents: These alter the structure of DNA so that the genes (and thus the cell itself) cannot replicate. The drugs in this class include cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan is the brand name and the common abbreviation is C), and the Platinums - cisplatin and carboplatin.

Anthracyclines: By binding to DNA, these disrupt the normal function of cancer cells and prevent their replication. The drugs in this class include doxorubicin (Adriamycin is the brand name; abbreviation is A) and epirubicin (Ellence is the brand name; abbreviation is E).

Antimetabolites: These chemotherapy agents can disguise themselves as the natural building blocks of large molecules, such as DNA, RNA and proteins, but once they get into the cell, they impede its function and cause its death. Common antimetabolites are fluorouracil (5-FU is the brand name; abbreviation is F), methotrexate (abbreviation is M), gemcitabine (Gemzar) and capecitabine (Xeloda).

Antimicrotubule Agents: These drugs disrupt the function of microtubules, the structures responsible for moving things around inside cells and ultimately for cell division. Also called mitotic inhibitors, this class includes paclitaxel (brand name is Taxol; abbreviation is P) and docetaxel (brand name is Taxotere; abbreviation is D). Taxol, Taxotere and Abraxane are known as taxanes; the first two are sometimes abbreviated with the letter T.



___________________________________________


Dexamethasone - Injection or Tablet - - - (more user-friendly). .
Emend - antinausea -
Kytril - antinausea -
Navoban - antinausea -
Ondansetron or Zofran - antinausea -
Pramin (metaclopramide) - antinausea -
Quadramet - radiopharmaceutical for bone pain -
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We'd like to keep this list up to date so if you notice any broken links or have any new links to add, please let us know.
Last edited by cheryl on Sun Jun 10, 2007 12:11 am, edited 8 times in total.
Cheryl

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