Carcinogenicity of Alkylating Cytostatic Drugs (International Agency for Research on Cancer Scientific Publications) - Softcover

Schmahl, Dietrich

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9283211782 ISBN 13: 9789283211785

Publisher: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1987

Synopsis

Over the last 20 years, the major advances in cancer therapy have been in the area of cytotoxic drugs. A number of cancers, including childhood leukaemia, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, testicular cancer and certain tumours of the ovary, which were generally fatal, can now be cured with chemotherapy. Ironically, it is the success of the cytotoxic agents in prolonging survival that has exposed their inherent long-term dangers. Many cytotoxic drugs react directly with cellular DNA, and it is perhaps not surprising that they have been found to be mutagenic and carcinogenic in laboratory experiments. Long-term survivors of cancer, treated with these agents, have experienced excesses of acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and, possibly, other solid tumours. For a number of common solid tumours, including those of the colon and the breast, cytotoxic drugs are used in an adjuvant role. Here, the balance of risk-benefit becomes really delicate, since post-surgical survival, even without the adjuvant therapy, is already appreciable. This volume consists of the proceedings of a meeting held in Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.

About this edition

• Publisher: International Agency for Research on Cancer
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 9283211782
• ISBN 13: 9789283211785
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 344