List of cancer drugs

People with cancer may have conditions caused by the cancer or its treatment. Find drugs approved for some of these cancer-related conditions.

Types of Cancer Drugs[edit]

Patient receives chemotherapy

Cancer treatments have significantly diversified with advances in medical science, leading to the development of various drugs that target cancer cells with precision. These drugs are classified based on their mode of action, each playing a pivotal role in oncology. This article explores the primary categories of cancer drugs, illustrating each with examples to provide insight into their function and application in cancer therapy.

Chemotherapy[edit]

Chemotherapy encompasses a broad range of drugs that kill rapidly dividing cells, a hallmark of cancerous tissues. Subcategories include:

Alkylating agents: Cyclophosphamide and Ifosfamide
Antimetabolites: Methotrexate and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)
Anti-tumor antibiotics: Doxorubicin and Bleomycin
Topoisomerase inhibitors: Irinotecan and Etoposide
Mitotic inhibitors: Paclitaxel and Vincristine

These drugs can be administered for various purposes, including cure, tumor size reduction, symptom management, and in combination with other treatments like surgery or radiation therapy.

Targeted Therapy[edit]

Targeted therapy zeroes in on specific molecular targets associated with cancer, offering a more refined approach to treatment. Examples include:

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Imatinib (Gleevec) and Erlotinib (Tarceva)
Monoclonal antibodies: Trastuzumab (Herceptin) for HER2-positive breast cancer and Rituximab (Rituxan) for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hormonal Therapy[edit]

Hormonal therapy is crucial for cancers that grow in response to hormones, such as some breast and prostate cancers. It includes:

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs): Tamoxifen
Aromatase inhibitors: Anastrozole (Arimidex) and Letrozole (Femara)

Immunotherapy[edit]

Immunotherapy enhances the immune system's ability to combat cancer, with treatments like:

Checkpoint inhibitors: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and Nivolumab (Opdivo)
CAR T-cell therapy: Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) for certain acute lymphoblastic leukemias

Radiopharmaceuticals[edit]

Radiopharmaceuticals deliver radiation directly to cancer cells, sparing healthy tissues. Notable examples are:

Iodine-131 for thyroid cancer
Radium-223 (Xofigo) for bone metastases from prostate cancer

Angiogenesis Inhibitors[edit]

Angiogenesis inhibitors prevent tumors from developing new blood vessels, essential for their growth. A key drug in this category is Bevacizumab (Avastin).

Cancer Vaccines[edit]

Cancer vaccines aim to provoke an immune response against cancer-specific antigens. Therapeutic vaccines like Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) for prostate cancer are under continuous research for efficacy against various cancers.

Comprehensive list of antineoplastic agents (cancer drugs)[edit]

External links[edit]

Comprehensive list of cancer drugs from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Drugs Approved for Different Types of Cancer[edit]

This page lists and links to NCI's pages of drugs approved for specific types of cancer.

Drugs Approved for Conditions Related to Cancer[edit]