Cancer can take many different forms. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, patients may have several treatment options available. One of the most common is chemotherapy, which uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth.
However, chemotherapy is a broad term that encompasses many different medications and treatment approaches. You may be wondering: What does chemotherapy entail? What types of chemotherapy drugs are available, and what purposes do they serve?
What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the act of treating diseases—especially the treatment of cancer—by way of various chemical substances (i.e., drugs and medications).
Depending on the type of drug and the treatment options pursued, chemotherapy drugs can work to accomplish the following:
- Cure cancer
- Shrink cancerous tumors
- Prevent the disease from spreading through the rest of the body
- Relieve painful or disruptive symptoms
Types of Chemotherapy Drugs
Because of the large variety of chemotherapy drugs—as well as types of cancers and locations within the body where it can grow—chemotherapy drugs can be administered in many different ways: orally, injected into the arteries, veins, under the skin, into the fluid around the spinal cord or brain, or into the muscles. For long-term treatment, surgically implanted catheters may also be inserted into the body.
Treatment is tailored to each patient based on the type of cancer, where it has spread, and the patient’s medical history. Chemotherapy drugs are grouped by how they work, their chemical structure, and how they relate to other drugs.
Common chemotherapy drugs and their processes are as follows. This list is by no means representative of all chemotherapy drugs. For a complete list, speak with a medical professional.
Alkylating Drugs for Chemotherapy
Alkylating drugs damage the cell’s DNA, which keeps it from reproducing. Examples of alkylating drugs include the following:
- Carboplatin, a broad type of chemotherapy treatment used in combination with other medications to treat ovarian, head, and neck cancers
- Temozolomide (brand name Temodar), used to treat brain cancer
Antimetabolites for Chemotherapy
Antimetabolites interfere with DNA and RNA growth in cells by inserting themselves into the process to replace the normal “building blocks” of cell production. Some examples include the following:
- Capecitabine (brand name Xeloda), used to treat breast and colorectal cancer as well as a range of other cancer types
- Floxuridine, a type of chemotherapy used to treat different types of cancers, specifically kinds that spread from other parts of the body to the liver
Anti-Tumor Antibiotics for Chemotherapy
Antitumor antibiotics prevent the cell cycle from progressing by altering the DNA inside cancer cells. Some anti-tumor antibiotics include the following:
- Daunorubicin (brand names Cerubidine, DaunoXome), used to treat leukemia
- Doxorubicin (brand names Doxil, Adriamycin), used to treat various types of cancer
Topoisomerase Inhibitors for Chemotherapy
Topoisomerase inhibitors prevent the enzyme topoisomerase from functioning, thereby preventing the separation of DNA strands required for cell division. Examples include the following:
- Topotecan (brand name Hycamtin), used to treat lung, cervical, and ovarian cancer
- Teniposide (brand name Vumon), used to treat leukemia
Mitotic Inhibitors for Chemotherapy
Mitotic Inhibitors prevent the synthesis of proteins inside cells, halting the reproductive process. Types of mitotic inhibitor medications may include the following:
- Docetaxel (brand name Taxotere), used to treat breast, lung, prostate, stomach, head, and neck cancer
- Estramustine (brand name Emcyt), used to treat prostate cancer
Chemotherapy Drug Taxotere Lawsuits
Side effects are expected with chemotherapy treatments: fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea, pain, and mouth and throat sores, to name a few. What cancer survivors don’t expect, however, is to suffer those side effects after treatment—especially permanently. Unfortunately, breast cancer survivors who had chemotherapy treatment with the drug Taxotere (Docetaxel) have suffered permanent hair loss or baldness far after they stopped treatment.
Many survivors have filed drug injury lawsuits against Taxotere’s manufacturer, Sanofi, for failure to warn patients and healthcare providers of its long-term or permanent risks.
Contact a Drug Injury Attorney Today
After fighting a long and brutal battle with cancer, survivors shouldn’t have to suffer anymore—plain and simple.
If you or a loved one took Taxotere during breast cancer treatment and have suffered permanent hair loss, you are urged to contact the Indianapolis Drug Injury Attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham Injury Lawyers.
Our team serves clients across Indianapolis and throughout Indiana, and we’re ready to pursue the justice and full compensation you deserve. Contact us online today.