|  | Cancer | Chemotherapy

Why Are Cancer Patients Treated With Drugs That Kill Mitotic Cells?

Chemotherapy drugs fight cancer by attacking individual cancer cells either locally or throughout the body. Drugs administered during certain portions of the life cycle of cancer cells may have a greater chance of damaging or killing those cells.

  1. The Facts

    • According to the American Cancer Society, all cells--including cancer cells--go through five phases in their reproductive cycle. The M phase, also called mitosis, is a period of 30 to 60 minutes in which cells actively reproduce by splitting in two.

    Targeting Mitotic Cells

    • Cancer cells have lost the normal inhibition that prevents them from dividing when they make direct contact with others cells of the same type. Cell cycle-specific chemotherapy targets and kills these mitotic cells during division.

    Targeting Other Life Cycle Phases

    • Other chemotherapy drugs target the active DNA replication phase of cancer cells' life cycles, also called the S phase.

    Chemotherapy Side Effects

    • In addition to damaging or killing active cancer cells, chemotherapy can damage or kill active healthy cells. Healthy cells that divide quickly typically receive the greatest amount of collateral damage from chemotherapy treatments.

    Significance

    • Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy form the core of cancer treatment. Radiation therapy also targets cancer cells during their active phases.

Chemotherapy - Related Articles