Principles of cytotoxic chemotherapy

Abstract

Alkylating agents are chemically reactive drugs that react with DNA to form covalent bonds, causing single-strand or double-strand DNA breaks that lead to interstrand and intrastrand DNA cross-linking. These agents are used extensively in cancer chemotherapy. They have a steep dose-response curve and are therefore useful in dose intensification strategies (e.g. in bone marrow transplantation). The subclasses of alkylating agents are as follows.