What are chemotherapy drugs made of?
What is Chemotherapy Made of? Some chemotherapy drugs are derived from natural sources such as bacteria and plants, while others are made using synthetic processes. There are more than 100 types of chemotherapy drugs on the market approved for different types of cancer.
What are plant alkaloids made from?
Plant Alkaloids. Plant alkaloids are chemotherapy treatments derived made from certain types of plants. The vinca alkaloids are made from the periwinkle plant (catharanthus rosea). The taxanes are made from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree (taxus).
What are plant alkaloids used for in chemotherapy?
Podophyllotoxins and camptothecan analogs are also known as topoisomerase inhibitors, which are used in certain types of chemotherapy. The plant alkaloids are cell-cycle specific. This means they attack the cells during various phases of division. Vinca alkaloids: Vincristine, Vinblastine and Vinorelbine. Taxanes: Paclitaxel and Docetaxel.
What are the different types of chemotherapy?
Types of Chemotherapy 1 Alkylating Agents. Alkylating agents are most active in the resting phase of the cell. ... 2 Plant Alkaloids. Plant alkaloids are chemotherapy treatments derived made from certain types of plants. ... 3 Antitumor Antibiotics. ... 4 Antimetabolites. ... 5 Topoisomerase Inhibitors. ... 6 Miscellaneous Antineoplastics. ...
What is the main ingredient in chemotherapy?
Alkylating agents were among the first anti-cancer drugs and are the most commonly used agents in chemotherapy today. Alkylating agents act directly on DNA, causing cross-linking of DNA strands, abnormal base pairing, or DNA strand breaks, thus preventing the cell from dividing.
What tree does chemo come from?
There are two chemotherapy drugs that were originally developed from yew trees: docetaxel (Taxotere) was first made from the needles of the European yew tree. paclitaxel (Taxol) was made from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.
What plant is the cure for cancer?
There is no reliable scientific evidence that herbal remedies alone can cure or treat cancer. However, some plant extracts have been found to have anti-cancer effects and have been turned into chemotherapy drugs. These include vincristine from the periwinkle plant, and taxanes from the bark of the Pacific yew tree.
Which plant is the original source of a cancer treatment drug?
Taxol® (NSC 125973) Paclitaxel, the most well-known natural-source cancer drug in the United States, is derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia) and is used in the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancer, as well as Kaposi's sarcoma.
How did chemo come about?
Chemotherapy was first developed at the beginning of the 20th century, although it was not originally intended as a cancer treatment. During World War II, it was discovered that people exposed to nitrogen mustard developed significantly reduced white blood cell counts.
What herbs are good for chemotherapy?
Research on Herbal Medicine and CancerAstragalus. Research on astragalus shows that it may reduce side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy agents such as cisplatin and carboplatin. ... Dong Quai. ... Burdock Root. ... Essiac Tea. ... Hypericin. ... Ginger. ... Aloe Vera. ... Mistletoe Extracts.More items...
What kills cancer cells in the body?
Oncolytic viruses kill individual cancer cells, but studies also suggest that they can boost the immune system's ability to recognize and kill a tumor. The viruses enter tumor cells specifically and replicate, eventually breaking the cells apart.
What are cancer drugs made of?
Some chemotherapy drugs are derived from natural sources such as bacteria and plants, while others are made using synthetic processes. There are more than 100 types of chemotherapy drugs on the market approved for different types of cancer.
Which plant is used to cure cancer at early stage?
Arum palaestinum, which is traditionally used for cancer treatment in several countries of the Middle East, was among medicinal plants of the Egyptian flora that showed superior in vitro cytotoxic activity. It inhibited the growth of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EACC) by 97.29% (Aboul-Enein et al., 2012).
What plant causes cancer?
Certain fungi found on plants like corn, peanuts, and tree nuts can contain aflatoxins. Plants used for herbal medicines sometimes contain aristolochic acids. Both of these substances have been linked to the development of cancer.
What is a natural product for dealing with cancer?
A number of widely-used anticancer therapeutics originate from natural sources, such as irinotecan, vincristine, etoposide and paclitaxel from plants, actinomycin D and mitomycin C from bacteria as well as marine-derived bleomycin.
Which is the oldest treatment for cancer?
Surgery remains a mainstay of the treatment of solid cancers, but until it was joined by drugs and radiation – the modern force behind cancer care – its impact was limited. Radiation came first, pioneered in 1896 by a medical student, Emil Grubbe, barely a year after Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays.
Why do they call chemo the Red Devil?
This agent has earned its infamous nickname, the red devil, based on its bright red (Kool-Aid red) color, vesicant properties, and side-effect profile, including hair loss, myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, and rare but serious cardiotoxicity.
What medicine comes from trees?
Medicinal TreesGinkgo (Ginkgo biloba) ... Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.) ... Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) ... Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum) ... Witch Hazel (Hamamelis spp.)
Where does the Taxol tree grow?
Although yew trees (genus Taxus) grow all over the Northern Hemisphere, the species that produces taxol occurs only in rain forests, including the old-growth forests of the northwestern United States and Canada. Taxol production has also been discovered in a parasitic fungus of yew trees in Montana.
What does an oncologist tree?
An oncologist is a healthcare provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer. They'll diagnose your cancer and identify treatment options. They'll discuss each option's benefits and side effects. They also oversee your treatment and manage your post-treatment care.
What are plant alkaloids?
Plant Alkaloids. Plant alkaloids are chemotherapy treatments derived made from certain types of plants. The vinca alkaloids are made from the periwinkle plant (catharanthus rosea). The taxanes are made from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree (taxus). The vinca alkaloids and taxanes are also known as antimicrotubule agents.
What is a toposiomerase inhibitor?
Toposiomerase inhibitors are types of chemotherapy drugs that interfere with the action of topoisomerase enzymes (topoisomerase I and II). During the process of chemo treatments, topoisomerase enzymes control the manipulation of the structure of DNA necessary for replication.
What is the term for a treatment that is very similar to normal substances within the cell?
Antimetaboli tes. Antimetabolites are types of chemotherapy treatments that are very similar to normal substances within the cell. When the cells incorporate these substances into the cellular metabolism, they are unable to divide. Antimetabolites are cell-cycle specific.
What is chemocare.com?
Chemocare.com is designed to provide the latest information about chemotherapy to patients and their families, caregivers and friends. For information about the 4th Angel Mentoring Program visit www.4thangel.org
What is an antitumor?
Antitumor antibiotics are chemo treatments made from natural products produced by species of the soil fungus Streptomyces. These drugs act during multiple phases of the cell cycle and are considered cell-cycle specific. There are several types of antitumor antibiotics:
What is the agent for antimicrotubules?
Antimicrotubule agent: Estramustine. Retinoids: Bexarotene, Isotretinoin, Tretinoin (ATRA) Beyond the aforementioned types of chemotherapy, many other types of chemo treatments exist, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy.
What are alkylating agents?
Alkylating Agents. Alkylating agents are most active in the resting phase of the cell. These types of drugs are cell-cycle non-specific. There are several types of alkylating agents used in chemotherapy treatments: Mustard gas derivatives: Mechlorethamine, Cyclophosphamide, Chlorambucil, Melphalan, and Ifosfamide.
What is the name of the drug that is similar to camptothecin?
Camptotheca acuminata. The cancer treatment drug topotecan is a synthetic chemical compound similar in chemical structure to camptothecin which is found in extracts of Camptotheca (happy tree).
What is a kadcyla?
Trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) is an antibody conjugated to a synthetic derivative of the cytotoxic principle of the Ethiopian plant Maytenus ovatus. It used to treat breast cancer.
What is the chemical extracted from yew?
Chemicals extracted from clippings of Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) have been used as the basis for two chemotherapy drugs, docetaxel and paclitaxel.
What are the two drugs that are used in chemotherapy?
Two chemotherapy drugs, etoposide and teniposide, are synthetic chemical compounds similar in chemical structure to the toxin podophyllotoxin which is found in Podophyllum peltatum (May Apple).
What are the sources of anti-cancer agents?
Plant sources of anti-cancer agents. Plant sources of anti-cancer agents are plants, the derivatives of which have been shown to be usable for the treatment or prevention of cancer in humans.
Why do plants need antifungal chemicals?
Plants need to defend themselves from attack by micro-organisms, in particular fungi, and they do this by producing anti-fungal chemicals that are toxic to fungi. Because fungal and human cells are similar at a biochemical level it is often the case that chemical compounds intended for plant defence have an inhibitory effect on human cells, including human cancer cells. Those plant chemicals that are selectively more toxic to cancer cells than normal cells have been discovered in screening programs and developed as chemotherapy drugs
When did scientists begin systematically examining natural organisms as a source of useful anti-cancer substances?
In the 1950s, scientists began systematically examining natural organisms as a source of useful anti-cancer substances. It has recently been argued that "the use of natural products has been the single most successful strategy in the discovery of novel medicines".
What is chemo therapy?
Chemotherapy is not a single thing, and just means in simple terms ‘treatment by chemicals’ . There is a wide variation of types, and they are made from sources as diverse as chemically modified metal platinum, various other chemicals made in chemical factories, simple and complex organic (carbon-based) chemicals, extracts from plants and micro-organisms (though a more precise word for some might be ‘antibiotic’) and even from higher organisms and sea creatures. Sometimes an identical product can be more effectively made chemically than extracted biologically. Each type of chemo drug has it own special characteristics, and its own place of use for a range of cancers. The field is rapidly developing and changing as new products are developed, refined and put into use in different combinations and sequences. The word ‘Chemotherapy’ had historically not just been used for cancer, though that is now most common. It used to be used for various anti-TB treatments, for example. For more details consult Wikipedia or a pharmacology textbook.
What do we know about cancer today?
What do we know about cancer today? Cancer is a disease that figures out how to use your body's natural mechanisms to benefit itself. Your cancer is very similar to you, and in some ways, it's a better version of you, since it is stronger than you, which is why you are likely having symptoms. What the standard of care, the protocol, does is level the playing field in the fight between you and your "evil twin" CancerMan as long as it can.
What is the standard of care for a tumor?
For some patients, the doctor might indicate the standard of care is surgery, painkillers, and time. In some cases, this is a good sign, a well-defined, "simple' tumor. Regrettably, that means in other situations all "real" treatments beyond surgery might be experimental, except in the case where the cancer is known not to have spread.
How many operations are there in a mastectomy?
2 operations in fact - a mastectomy and an axillary node clearance (no clear nodes to be found at any level).
Is chemo a single thing?
Chemotherapy is not a single thing, and just means in simple terms ‘treatment by chemicals’. There is a wide variation of types, and they are made from sources as diverse as chemically modified metal platinum, various other chemicals made in chemical factories, simple and complex organic (carbon-based) chemicals, extracts from plants and micro-organisms (though a more precise word for some might be ‘antibiotic’) and even from higher organisms and sea creatures. Sometimes an identical product can be more effectively made chemically than extracted biologically. Each type of chemo drug has it own
Does chemotherapy work?
Most chemotherapy (and radiation) takes advantage of a property called uncontrolled growth, that is a superpower of CancerMan but also a weakness. Cancer grows quickly (tumors, leukemia), kind of in the same way your hair grows quickly. Once you're an adult, you stop fast growth, but since your body is always changing and replenishing, the rate is not the same everywhere. There are poisons that are worse for the fast growing cells. You might lose your hair, but in a way, that's how you know it's working. A friend I know was very concerned, that his kid was worried that the hair loss and sickness was the cancer getting worse, when that was actually a sign of chemotherapy working. Make sure both you and your loved ones know what to expect, and are supportive in your struggle. Cancer isn't glamorous.
Is chemotherapy considered experimental?
Most chemotherapy protocols (and chemotherapy is a process, and typically not a single drug) are either experimental, or are ranked relative to a "standard of care". The first question a patient should ask is what is considered the standard of care for the situation the patient is in. This will include both biomedical drugs (drugs to both attack the cancer and support the patient) as well as psychosocial support (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK4023/).
How are chemo drugs made?
Medicines: These are drugs and medications that are given by intravenous, intraarterial, or oral routes in most cases. The drugs are made by companies (pharmaceutical) who manufacture them from chemicals and molecules.
How long does it take to get answers from a doctor?
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers — it's anonymous and free! Doctors typically provide answers within 24 hours. Educational text answers on HealthTap are not intended for individual diagnosis, treatment or prescription. For these, please consult a doctor (virtually or in person).
What is chemotherapy medicine?
Dr. Devon Webster answered. Different medicines: Chemotherapy is a group of medicines, given through the vein or by mouth, that can kill cancer cells. The first "chemotherapy" was a chemical used in warfare, which is how it got the name. The medicines block different pathways used by the cancer cell to survive.
What is chemo therapy?
Chemotherapy: Is a fairly broad term to describe medications given to treat cancer. This is not necessarily limited to intravenous drugs.
What is the drug used for cancer?
Collectively, they are called chemotherapy and can be used as single agents or in combinations. Many times biologic agents such as antibodies are also grouped in this category because the are used to fight cancer as well.
Is HealthTap a doctor-patient relationship?
Disclaimer: Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap.
Is HealthTap a board certified doctor?
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video. Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in less than one minute for common issues such as: colds and coughs, stomach symptoms, bladder infections, rashes, and more.
Chemotherapy Works with The Cell Cycle
- Every time any new cell is formed, it goes through a usual process to become a fully functioning (or mature) cell. The process involves a series of phases and is called the cell cycle. Chemotherapy drugs target cells at different phases of the cell cycle. Understanding how these drugs work helps doctors predict which drugs are likely to work well t...
Types of Chemo Drugs
- Chemo drugs can be grouped by how they work, their chemical structure, and their relationships to other drugs. Some drugs work in more than one way, and may belong to more than one group. (Note: not all chemotherapy drugs are listed here.) Knowing how the drug works is important in predicting side effects from it. This helps doctors decide which drugs are likely to work well toge…
Other Types of Drugs Used to Treat Cancer
- Other drugs and biological treatments are used to treat cancer, but aren’t considered chemotherapy. They often have different side effects than chemotherapy. Many are used along with surgery, chemo, or radiation therapy.
Alkylating Agents
- Alkylating agents are most active in the resting phase of the cell. These types of drugs are cell-cycle non-specific. There are several types of alkylating agents used in chemotherapy treatments: 1. Mustard gas derivatives: Mechlorethamine, Cyclophosphamide, Chlorambucil, Melphalan, and Ifosfamide. 2. Ethylenimines: Thiotepa and Hexamethylmelamine....
Plant Alkaloids
- Plant alkaloids are chemotherapy treatments derived made from certain types of plants. The vinca alkaloids are made from the periwinkle plant (catharanthus rosea). The taxanes are made from the bark of the Pacific Yew tree (taxus). The vinca alkaloids and taxanes are also known as antimicrotubule agents. The podophyllotoxins are derived from the May apple plant. Camptothe…
Antitumor Antibiotics
- Antitumor antibiotics are chemo treatments made from natural products produced by species of the soil fungus Streptomyces. These drugs act during multiple phases of the cell cycle and are considered cell-cycle specific. There are several types of antitumor antibiotics: 1. Anthracyclines: Doxorubicin, Daunorubicin, Epirubicin, Mitoxantrone, and Idarubicin. 2. Chromomycins: Dactino…
Antimetabolites
- Antimetabolites are types of chemotherapy treatments that are very similar to normal substances within the cell. When the cells incorporate these substances into the cellular metabolism, they are unable to divide. Antimetabolites are cell-cycle specific. They attack cells at very specific phases in the cycle. Antimetabolites are classified according to the substances with which they interfer…
Topoisomerase Inhibitors
- Toposiomerase inhibitors are types of chemotherapy drugs that interfere with the action of topoisomerase enzymes (topoisomerase I and II). During the process of chemo treatments, topoisomerase enzymes control the manipulation of the structure of DNA necessary for replication. 1. Topoisomerase I inhibitors: Ironotecan, topotecan 2. Topoisomerase II inhibitors: …
Miscellaneous Antineoplastics
- Several useful types of chemotherapy drugs are unique: 1. Ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor: Hydroxyurea. 2. Adrenocortical steroid inhibitor: Mitotane 3. Enzymes: Asparaginase and Pegaspargase. 4. Antimicrotubule agent: Estramustine 5. Retinoids: Bexarotene, Isotretinoin, Tretinoin (ATRA) Beyond the aforementioned types of chemotherapy, many other types of chem…