NUR 3251 - Pharmacology for Nurses II: Module 9 Chemotherapy and Supportive Therapy. Study Guide.

NUR 3251 - Pharmacology for Nurses II: Module 9 Chemotherapy and Supportive Therapy. Study Guide. Chemotherapy Medications to Know Descriptions Cancer cells have gene mutations that turn the cell from a normal cell into a cancer cell. These gene mutations may be inherited, develop over time as we get older and genes wear out, or develop if we are around something that damages our genes, like cigarette smoke, alcohol or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Cancer is unchecked cell growth. Mutations in genes can cause cancer by accelerating cell division rates or inhibiting normal controls on the system, such as cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death. As a mass of cancerous cells grows, it can develop into a tumor The cell kill hypothesis is the theoretical ability of chemotherapeutic agents to kill cancer cells. A certain drug dosage will kill a constant percentage of cells rather than a constant number of cells. Tumor burden (tumor load - TB) is defined as the total amount of tumor (cells/mass) distributed in the patients' body, including bone marrow. Cell cycle phase specific agents act on the cells in a specific phase. They are most effective against tumours that have a large proportion of cells actively moving through the cell cycle and cycling at a fast rate Tamoxifen is a nonsteroidal triphenylethylene derivative that binds to the estrogen receptor. It has both estrogenic and antiestrogenic actions, depending on the target tissue Tamoxifen blocks estrogen receptors on breast cancer cells. It stops estrogen from connecting to the cancer cells and telling them to grow and divide. While tamoxifen acts like an antiestrogen in breast cells, it acts like an estrogen in other tissues, like the uterus and the bones. Tamoxifen is the oldest and most-prescribed selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Tamoxifen is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat:  women and men diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer after surgery (or possibly chemotherapy and radiation) to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (recurring)  women and men diagnosed with advanced-stage or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive disease Tamoxifen also is used to:  reduce breast cancer risk in women who haven't been diagnosed but are at higher-than-average risk for the disease