A hematologist and oncologist at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), Kenneth D. Nahum, MD, treats patients and studies the efficacy of drug treatments. Over the course of his career, Kenneth D. Nahum, MD, has studied a range of chemotherapy drugs. Common categories of chemotherapy drugs include: - Alkylating agents. One of the first anti-cancer drugs developed, they cause DNA strand breaks, which prevent cells from dividing. Still one of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs, alkylating agents are effective at all stages of cell growth as long as the growth process is slow. Patients with multiple myeloma, leukemia, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma will likely be prescribed these chemo drugs. - Plant alkaloids. Mitomycin and doxorubicin are two examples of this class of chemotherapy drugs, which are derived from plants and keep cancer cells from dividing. Plant alkaloids are cell-cycle specific and only attack cancer cells during different phases of division. - Antitumor antibiotics. Several types of cancer are treated with antitumor antibiotics bleomycin and dactinomycin. When injected into the body, these chemo drugs bind with DNA and prevent RNA synthesis, which is necessary for creating the proteins for cell survival. Oncologists are cautious about the amount of antitumor antibiotics they prescribe since too much can damage the heart. - Antimetabolites. As suggested by their name, antimetabolites affect cellular metabolism and prevent cells from dividing. They are cell-cycle specific and are primarily used to treat ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia
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AuthorA practicing partner of Regional Cancer Care Associates, Dr. Kenneth D. Nahum, DO, has over 30 years of experience treating cancer patients in New Jersey and surrounding areas. Archives
March 2019
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