Part 6: Antitumor Antibiotics

True or False: Some antibiotics not only kill bacteria, but mammalian cells?

True.

Eg. Streptomycin used to tx TB in the 50s

How do antibiotics kill cells?

1. disrupt DNA transcription

2. Inhibit DNA & RNA synthesis

Antibiotics are cell cycle (specific/ non-specific)

cell cycle non-specific

List the 2 antibiotics discussed in class

1. Bleomycin

2. Adriamycin (brand name)

Adriamycin aka

Doxorubicin (generic, real name)

Hint: If it ends in ___ it is an antibiotic

-mycin

What are the following drugs used to treat?

1. Bleomycin

2. Adriamycin

Bleomycin: BL = Balls and Lymph

1. HD

2. NHD

3. Testicular

used for cure

Adriamycin: a lot

Used for a wide variety of cancers

Which drug is the most commonly used chemo drug?

Adriamycin

What are the toxicities for bleomycin?

Acute: Flu-like symptoms- fever, chills, etc. (Bleo your nose)

Chronic: Pulmonary Fibrosis- the worst if all those letter B drugs

What are the toxicities of Adriamycin?

1. Cardiotoxicity- the highest of any drug→ can lead to congestive heart failure

2. Vesicant- the most important vesicant

Which drug cannot be given again for tx (i.e. doses are cumulative over a lifetime)?

1. Bleomycin

2. Adriamycin

Bleomycin and Adriamycin

Which drug is the most important vessicant?

Adriamycin

Which drug has the highest cardiotoxicity of all chemo drugs?

Adriamycin

Which drug is the most widely used chemo drug?

Adriamycin

Which drug causes the worst pulmonary fibrosis?

Bleomycin

Which of the following has overlapping toxicities with RTT?

1. Adriamycin

2. Bleomycin

Adriamycin

True or False: The toxicities of Adriamycin are less severe if the drug is given over several days rather than in one larger dose.

True

term. Radiation Recall

def. the radiation side effects return with the use of Adriamycin (or a chemo drug)

When treating with RTT, what must we ensure to do if the patient has taken Adriamycin?

Ensure heart isn’t in tx field