title: Pharmacology of oral chemotherapy agents.
abstract: The abundance of orally formulated chemotherapy agents reflects the expanding role of oral chemotherapy in the care of patients with cancer. Many oral chemotherapy agents have been used for a number of years, and several have been developed recently. Newer agents include the prodrugs capecitabine and temozolomide, the retinoid bexarotene, the immunomodulatory agent thalidomide, the protein kinase inhibitor imatinib, and the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib. Each agent has unique pharmacologic properties, dosing, and side-effect profiles. This article reviews these agents from a pharmacology perspective.
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), Lebanon, NH, USA. Ann.M.Birner@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birner
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000494:pharmacology; D001549:Benzamides; D000077610:Bexarotene; D000069287:Capecitabine; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D017277:Drug Approval; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018579:Patient Selection; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077204:Temozolomide; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D001549:Benzamides; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D011355:Prodrugs; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011799:Quinazolines; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D013792:Thalidomide; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D000077610:Bexarotene; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077156:Gefitinib; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000077204:Temozolomide