Previous section | Next section

Oral administration of systemic anticancer therapy

Definition

The term ‘oral anticancer medicine’ is used to refer to drugs with direct antitumour activity, administered via the oral route to cancer patients, including traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy (e.g. capecitabine, vinorelbine), small molecule treatments (e.g. imatinib, erlotinib) and teratogenic agents such as thalidomide. It does not include hormonal therapies such as tamoxifen or anastrazole (BOPA [16], NPSA [167]). See Table 23.4.
Table 23.4  Examples of oral anticancer medications
Drug classDrugCancers for which drug is used
Alkylating agentBusulfanLeukaemia
 ChlorambucilLeukaemia, lymphoma
 CyclophosphamideLeukaemia, lymphomas, many solid tumours
 Lomustine (CCNU)Lymphoma
 MelphalanMyeloma
 TemozolomideGlioma (brain tumour)
AntimetabolitesCapecitabineBreast, colorectal, upper gastrointestinal tract
 FludarabineLeukaemia
 MercaptopurineLeukaemia
 MethotrexateLeukaemia, solid tumours
 Tegafur‐uracilColorectal cancer
 TioguanineLeukaemia
EpipodophyllotoxinsEtoposideLeukaemia, solid tumours (lung, testicular)
Tyrosine kinase inhibitorsAfatinibLung
 CeritinibLung cancer
 CrizotinibLung cancer
 DabrafenibMelanoma
 DasatinibChronic myeloid leukaemia
 ErlotinibLung cancer
 GefitinibLung cancer
 ImatinibChronic myeloid leukaemia
 LapatinibBreast cancer
 NilotinibChronic myeloid leukaemia
 SorafenibRenal and liver
 SunitinibRenal cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumour
Antitumour antibioticsIdarubicinLeukaemia
Plant alkaloidsVinorelbineLung and breast
MiscellaneousHydroxycarbamideLeukaemia
 LenalidomideMyeloma
 TretinoinLeukaemia
 ThalidomideMyeloma
Source: Adapted from Williamson ([270]).
Previous section | Next section