APHON Principles Of Chemo And Biotherapy –
Questions With Solutions
Biotherapy ✔️Ans - Targeted anticancer agents also known as biological
response modifiers (BRM)
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are what class ✔️Ans - Biotherapy
Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are what class ✔️Ans - Biotherapy
Define pharmacokinetics ✔️Ans - Study of drug absorption, metabolism, and
excretion
Define pharmacodynamics ✔️Ans - The concentration of the drug in the
body and how it produces a response
Define adjuvant chemotherapy ✔️Ans - The use of chemo after another type
of therapy, such as surgery, to treat residual disease or undetectable
metastasis.
Define neoadjuvant chemotherapy ✔️Ans - When chemo is used
preoperatively to decrease tumor burden in order to make it easier to remove
the tumor surgically.
Define sanctuary sites ✔️Ans - Sites within the body where tumor cells
sequester and are not easily reached by chemo such as the CNS
What normal cells are most often effected by chemotherapy ✔️Ans -
Hematopoietic, mucosal (mouth & GI), hair follicles
Why use chemotherapy ✔️Ans - To prevent cancer cells from dividing,
metastasizing, and ultimately causing the death of the patient
Cure ✔️Ans - To permanently eradicate the cancer
Control ✔️Ans - To extend the length & QOL when cure is not feasible or
realistic
, Palliation ✔️Ans - Minimize pain and suffering during end of life
Resting phase of cell cycle ✔️Ans - Gap 0 - cells not dividing
Postmitotic phase ✔️Ans - Gap 1 - enzymes needed for DNA synthesis are
produced, protein and RNA synthesis takes place (18 Hours)
Synthesis (S) Phase ✔️Ans - Cellular DNA duplicated (20 hours)
Premitotic phase ✔️Ans - Gap 2 - both protein and RNA synthesis occur,
precursors of mitotic spindle are produced. Shortest phase
Mitosis (M) Phase ✔️Ans - Cell division occurs in 4-step phase (prophase,
metaphase, anaphase, telophase) 1 Hour
5 stages of reproduction of cells ✔️Ans - Resting, Postmitotic, synthesis,
premitotic, mitosis
Cell Cycle time ✔️Ans - The amount of time it takes a cell to move from one
mitotic episode to another.
Cell-cycle-specific agents ✔️Ans - Those drugs that work only when cells are
in a specific phase of the cell cycle.
Doubling time ✔️Ans - The time required for a tumor mass to reach a certain
size or double in size.
Growth fraction ✔️Ans - Percentage of cells actively dividing at any given
point in time.
Tumor burden ✔️Ans - Size of the tumor as determined by the number of
cells present.
A higher growth fraction ✔️Ans - Results in a higher cell kill with exposure
to cell cycle specific agents.
The higher the tumor cell burden ✔️Ans - The greater the probability of the
development of drug resistance
Questions With Solutions
Biotherapy ✔️Ans - Targeted anticancer agents also known as biological
response modifiers (BRM)
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are what class ✔️Ans - Biotherapy
Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are what class ✔️Ans - Biotherapy
Define pharmacokinetics ✔️Ans - Study of drug absorption, metabolism, and
excretion
Define pharmacodynamics ✔️Ans - The concentration of the drug in the
body and how it produces a response
Define adjuvant chemotherapy ✔️Ans - The use of chemo after another type
of therapy, such as surgery, to treat residual disease or undetectable
metastasis.
Define neoadjuvant chemotherapy ✔️Ans - When chemo is used
preoperatively to decrease tumor burden in order to make it easier to remove
the tumor surgically.
Define sanctuary sites ✔️Ans - Sites within the body where tumor cells
sequester and are not easily reached by chemo such as the CNS
What normal cells are most often effected by chemotherapy ✔️Ans -
Hematopoietic, mucosal (mouth & GI), hair follicles
Why use chemotherapy ✔️Ans - To prevent cancer cells from dividing,
metastasizing, and ultimately causing the death of the patient
Cure ✔️Ans - To permanently eradicate the cancer
Control ✔️Ans - To extend the length & QOL when cure is not feasible or
realistic
, Palliation ✔️Ans - Minimize pain and suffering during end of life
Resting phase of cell cycle ✔️Ans - Gap 0 - cells not dividing
Postmitotic phase ✔️Ans - Gap 1 - enzymes needed for DNA synthesis are
produced, protein and RNA synthesis takes place (18 Hours)
Synthesis (S) Phase ✔️Ans - Cellular DNA duplicated (20 hours)
Premitotic phase ✔️Ans - Gap 2 - both protein and RNA synthesis occur,
precursors of mitotic spindle are produced. Shortest phase
Mitosis (M) Phase ✔️Ans - Cell division occurs in 4-step phase (prophase,
metaphase, anaphase, telophase) 1 Hour
5 stages of reproduction of cells ✔️Ans - Resting, Postmitotic, synthesis,
premitotic, mitosis
Cell Cycle time ✔️Ans - The amount of time it takes a cell to move from one
mitotic episode to another.
Cell-cycle-specific agents ✔️Ans - Those drugs that work only when cells are
in a specific phase of the cell cycle.
Doubling time ✔️Ans - The time required for a tumor mass to reach a certain
size or double in size.
Growth fraction ✔️Ans - Percentage of cells actively dividing at any given
point in time.
Tumor burden ✔️Ans - Size of the tumor as determined by the number of
cells present.
A higher growth fraction ✔️Ans - Results in a higher cell kill with exposure
to cell cycle specific agents.
The higher the tumor cell burden ✔️Ans - The greater the probability of the
development of drug resistance
