Treatment intent terminology

• Radical: curative intent, aims to eradicate a tumour and often at the expense of treatment related side effects
• Palliative: non-curative, aims to improve symptoms/quality of life (but not at the expense of significant side effects)
• Adjuvant: after surgery, aimed at reducing the risk of recurrence
• Neo-adjuvant: before surgery, usually to shrink a tumour before surgical removal

Treatment endpoint terminology

• Overall survival: time alive
• Disease free survival: time without any symptoms/signs of cancer
• Progression free survival: time with cancer that is not getting worse
• Local control: time without recurrence or progression at a specific tumour site

Cytotoxic chemotherapy

Mechanism of action

• Chemotherapy describes the use of drugs in order to destroy cancer cells
• It utilizes the fact that cancer cells undergo division faster than normal cells

Chemotherapy agents

• Alkylating agents: attach alkyl group to DNA e.g. cyclophosphamide, busulfan, and chlorambucil
• Platinum salts: affect DNA cross-linking
• Anti-metabolites: interfere with DNA/RNA growth e.g. 5-fluorouracil and methotrexate
• Taxanes: mitotic inhibitors
• Anthracyclines: interfere with enzymes for DNA copying