Platinum compounds — Flashcards

Flashcard 1: Which of the platinum analogs is most commonly associated with nephrotoxicity?_____

Answer: Cisplatin

Flashcard 2: Which drug is used to prevent cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity?_____

Answer: Amifostine

Flashcard 3: What is the mechanism of platinum analog cytotoxicity?_____

Answer: Cross-link DNA

Flashcard 4: Platinum analogs are known to cause _____ in a stocking-glove distribution

Answer: peripheral neuropathy

Flashcard 5: Drugs that end in -platin (cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin) are cytotoxic _____ analogs

Answer: platinum

Flashcard 6: Which of the platinum analogs is most commonly associated with peripheral neuropathy?

Answer: Oxaliplatin

Extra: While all platinum analogs can cause peripheral neuropathy, it is the dose-limiting toxicity for **Oxaliplatin**. Oxaliplatin is characteristically associated with: 1. **Acute sensory neuropathy**: Triggered or exacerbated by exposure to cold. 2. **Chronic cumulative neuropathy**: Dose-dependent sensory loss. **Key Toxicities of Platinum Analogs:** * **Cisplatin**: Nephrotoxicity and Ototoxicity (most severe in this class). * **Carboplatin**: Myelosuppression (especially thrombocytopenia). * **Oxaliplatin**: Peripheral neuropathy.

Flashcard 7: Mechanism and indication of Anastrozole?

Answer: Aromatase inhibitor used in postmenopausal breast cancer

Extra: Mechanism: Competitively inhibits aromatase, decreasing estrogen synthesis. Indication: ER-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Examples of other aromatase inhibitors: Letrozole, Exemestane.

Flashcard 8: Mechanism of action of Exemestane:

Answer: Irreversible (Steroidal) Aromatase Inhibitor

Extra: Mechanism: Irreversible inhibition of the enzyme aromatase. Indication: Breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Note: Exemestane is a steroidal inhibitor, unlike Anastrozole and Letrozole which are non-steroidal (reversible).

Flashcard 9: alkylating agents

Answer: absence of digits (and multiple varied anomalies)

Flashcard 10: Teratogenic effect of folate antagonists?

Answer: Neural tube defects (NTDs)

Extra: Folate antagonists (e.g., Methotrexate, Aminopterin) interfere with DNA synthesis and are potent teratogens. Maternal use, especially during the first trimester (organogenesis), is strongly associated with neural tube defects. Low folate levels in general are a risk factor, which is why folic acid supplementation is recommended preconceptionally.