Anticancer Drugs Classification for NEET/AIIMS/USMLE/FMGE/PLAB
Neoplasia is an abnormal and rapid proliferation of cells that, gives rise to unwanted tissue mass or tumour. Since the tumour cells also require the cell cycle for proliferation, it can be said that an increase in frequency of cell cycle causes neoplasia.
The cause is almost always targeted in chemotherapy and hence cell cycle is inhibited by various chemicals, either in a specific phase (Cell cycle specific) or in all phases (Non cell cycle specific). This is the broad classification of anticancer drugs in to
1. Non cell cycle specific anticancer drugs
a. Alkylating agents - Temozolomide, Carmustine, Cyclophosphamide
b. Platinum compounds - Cisplatin, Carboplatin
c. Antitumour antibiotics - Bleomycin, Doxorubicin, Mitomycin
2. Cell cycle specific anticancer drugs
a. S Phase specific drugs
Antifolate drugs - Methotrexate, Pemetrexed
Pyrimidine analogs - 5 fluorouracil, Capecitabine, Gemcitabine
Purine analogs - 6 mercaptopurine, 6 thioguanine, Fludarabine
Topoisomerase inhibitors - Irinotecan, Topotecan, Etoposide
Hydroxyurea
Histone deacetylase inhibitors - Vornistat, Romidepsin, Belinostat
b. M Phase Specific Drugs
Vinca Akaloids - Vincristine, Vinblastine, Vinorelbine
Taxanes - Paclitaxel, Docetaxel
Ixabepilone
Eribulin
Estramustine