Alkylating agent used in chemotherapy:

Ref: KDT pg. 819-20; Katzung, 11th ed. pg. 1280* Bleomycin: This is a mixture of closely related glycopep- tides antibiotics having potent antitumour activity.* It is highly effective in testicular tumour and squamous cell carcinoma of skin, oral cavity, head and neck, genitourinary tract and esophagus.* Side effect: pulmonary fibrosis and myelosuppression.Alkylating agents have cytotoxic and radiomimetic actions. They are mainly cell cycle non-specific, i.e. act on dividing as well as resting cells.* Cross-linking of DNA appears to be of major importance to the cytotoxic action of alkylating agents, and replicating cells are most susceptible to these drugs.* Drugs are:Alkylating agents- cell cycle- nonspecific agentsAntimetabolites- cell cycle- specific agentsNitrogen mustard* Cyclophosphamide* Ifosfamide* Mechlorethamine* Melphalan* ChlorambucilFolic acid antagonist:MethotrexatePurine analogues* 6 Mercaptopurine* 6thioguanine* Cladribine* FludarabineDrugs acting by Methylation* Procarbazine* Dacarbazine* TemozolomidePyrimidine analogues* Capecitabin* Gemcitabin* Cyatarabine and 5 FUNitrosoureas* Carmustine* Lomustine* Semustine* StreptozocinMiscellaneous* Busulfan* Altretamine* Thiotepa* Trabectadin