Antineoplastic drugs

Most antineoplastic agents are categorized according to their structure or cell cycle activity - either cell cycle phase specific or cell cycle phase non-specific.

Cell cycle phase specific agents act on the cells in a particular phase. They are most active against tumours that have a huge proportion of cells vigorously moving through the cell cycle and cycling at a fast rate. Fast cycling ensures that the cell passes through the phase in which it is susceptible to the drugs' effects.

Cell cycle phase non-specific agents are not dependant on the cell being in a particular phase of the cell cycle for them to work - they disturb cells in all stages of the cell cycle. Resting cells (phase G0) are as vulnerable as dividing cells to the cytotoxic effects of these agents. As a result, phase non-specific agents have been found to be some of the most effective drugs against slow-growing tumours.

Generally, they are categorized as

(1)alkylating agents,

 (2) antimetabolites,

(3) natural products,

 (4) hormones and antagonists,

 (5) miscellaneous

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