Anti-Cancer Agents

Anti-cancer agents are substances used to treat or prevent the growth of cancer cells. These include chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and hormone treatments, which work in different ways to either kill cancer cells or inhibit their growth and spread.

Categories of Anti-Cancer Agents:

  1. Chemotherapy Drugs
  2. These are designed to kill or stop the growth of rapidly dividing cancer cells.
    • Examples:
      • Cisplatin
      • Methotrexate
      • Cyclophosphamide
  3. Targeted Therapy
  4. These drugs target specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival.
    • Examples:
      • Imatinib (used in leukemia)
      • Trastuzumab (used for HER2-positive breast cancer)
  5. Immunotherapy
  6. This treatment boosts the body’s immune system to fight cancer more effectively.
    • Examples:
      • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
      • Nivolumab (Opdivo)
  7. Hormone Therapy
  8. Hormone therapies are used to treat cancers that are influenced by hormones (e.g., breast or prostate cancer).
    • Examples:
      • Tamoxifen (used for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer)
      • Leuprolide (used for prostate cancer)
  9. Radiation Therapy
  10. Uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink cancer cells, often in combination with other therapies.