chemotherapeutic agent

Chemotherapy is the treatment of diseases using chemical compounds, or drugs. While originally used against infectious microbes, the term now broadly includes anticancer drugs. The development of chemotherapy has significantly advanced the treatment of various diseases, particularly cancer.12

Anticancer drugs, often referred to as chemotherapy, work by targeting and eliminating cancerous cells. These drugs can be classified by their structure and function, including alkylating agents, antimetabolites, natural products, and hormones. They aim to selectively kill tumor cells while minimizing harm to healthy cells, though side effects can occur because many chemotherapeutic agents affect rapidly dividing cells, both cancerous and healthy.3456

The history of chemotherapy includes early discoveries like nitrogen mustards in the 1940s for treating lymphomas, and later advancements with antimetabolites and other drug classes. Modern chemotherapy is often used in combination with surgery or radiation therapy to combat cancer effectively.4723