Oncology Drug Introduction Oncology medications can be broken down into the following categories alkylating agents antimetabolites microtubule inhibitors topoisomerase inhibitors antibiotics immunomodulators Oncology Drug Table Alkylating Agents Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Busulfan Cross links DNA CML Bone marrow ablation Pulmonary fibrosis Bone marrow suppression Carboplatin Cisplatin Oxaliplatin Cross links DNA Testicular cancer Ovarian cancer Bladder cancer Lung cancer Ototoxicity Nephrotoxicity Peripheral neuropathy Cyclophosphamide DNA cross linkage at guanine residues Leukemia Lymphoma Solid tumors Myelosuppression Hemorrhagic cystitis (prophylaxis with mesna) Chlorambucil Inhibits DNA replication Causes DNA damage CLL Myelosuppression Antimetabolites Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Methotrexate Dihydrofolate reductase competitive inhibitor Leukemia Lymphoma Sarcoma Ectopic pregnancy Abortion Psoriasis Rheumatoid arthritis Myelosuppression (reverse with leucovorin) Megaloblastic anemia (prevent with folate) Mucositis/stomatitis Cytarabine Pyrimidine analogue Leukemia Lymphoma Pancytopenia Fludarabine Purine analogue Leukemia Lymphoma Lymphopenia Infection 6-Mercaptopurine Purine analogue Immunosuppressant Inflammatory bowel disease SLR Myelosupppression 5-Fluorouracil Pyrimidine analogue Colon cancer Basal cell carcinoma Pancreatic cancer Myelosupppression Microtubule Inhibitors Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Vinblastine Microtubule inhibitor Lymphoma Leukemia Solid tumors Peripheral neuropathy Neurotoxic Vincristine Microtubule inhibitor Lymphoma Leukemia Solid tumors GI problems Hair loss Peripheral neuropathy Topoisomerase Inhibitors Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Irinotecan DNA topoisomerase inhibitor Colon cancer Ovarian cancer Small cell lung cancer Myelosuppression Antibiotics Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Bleomycin Free radical DNA damage Hodgkin lymphoma Testicular cancer Pulmonary fibrosis Myelosuppression Dactinomycin (actinomycin D) Intercalates between DNA base pairs Ewing sarcoma Wilms tumor Rhabdomyosarcoma Myelosuppression Doxorubicin Free radical damage Intercalates between DNA base pairs Leukemia Lymphoma Cardiotoxicity Mitomycin DNA-cross linkage Adenocarcinoma of the stomach, pancreas Myelosuppression Nephrotoxic Pulmonary toxicity Cardiotoxicity Immunomodulators Name Mechanism of Action Key Indication Key Toxicity Interferon IFN-α analogue Cancer Viral infections (Hep B/C) Flu-like syndromes