Abstract
Cisplatin is called the "penicillin of cancer" because it is used so widely and it was the first big chaemotherapy drug, It is most widely prescribed as well as a first and effective treatment for many cancer diagnoses. Unlike many cancer drugs, which are organic molecules with complex structures, cisplatin is an inorganic molecule with a simple structure. In designing and evaluating new cancer treatments, researchers use cisplatin as the gold standard against which new medicines are compared. This drug is probably most widely known for its prominent role in in fighting multiple cancer types. Cisplatin is used to treat many types of cancer, but it is most widely prescribed for testicular, ovarian, bladder, lung, and stomach cancers.
Cisplatin, is a well-known chemotherapeutic drug. It has been used for treatment of numerous human cancers including bladder, head and neck, lung, ovarian, and testicular cancers. It is effective against various types of cancers, including carcinomas, germ cell tumors, lymphomas, and sarcomas. Its mode of action has been linked to its ability to crosslink with the purine bases on the DNA; interfering with DNA repair mechanisms, causing DNA damage, and subsequently inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
However, because of drug resistance and numerous undesirable side effects such as severe kidney problems, allergic reactions, decrease immunity to infections, gastrointestinal disorders, hemorrhage, and hearing loss especially in younger patients, other platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs such as carboplatin, oxaliplatin and others, have also been used.
Cisplatin is called the "penicillin of cancer" because it is used so widely and it was the first big chaemotherapy drug, It is most widely prescribed as well as a first and effective treatment for many cancer diagnoses. Unlike many cancer drugs, which are organic molecules with complex structures, cisplatin is an inorganic molecule with a simple structure. In designing and evaluating new cancer treatments, researchers use cisplatin as the gold standard against which new medicines are compared. This drug is probably most widely known for its prominent role in in fighting multiple cancer types. Cisplatin is used to treat many types of cancer, but it is most widely prescribed for testicular, ovarian, bladder, lung, and stomach cancers.
Cisplatin, is a well-known chemotherapeutic drug. It has been used for treatment of numerous human cancers including bladder, head and neck, lung, ovarian, and testicular cancers. It is effective against various types of cancers, including carcinomas, germ cell tumors, lymphomas, and sarcomas. Its mode of action has been linked to its ability to crosslink with the purine bases on the DNA; interfering with DNA repair mechanisms, causing DNA damage, and subsequently inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.
However, because of drug resistance and numerous undesirable side effects such as severe kidney problems, allergic reactions, decrease immunity to infections, gastrointestinal disorders, hemorrhage, and hearing loss especially in younger patients, other platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs such as carboplatin, oxaliplatin and others, have also been used.
Furthermore, combination therapies of cisplatin with other drugs are to be highly considered to overcome drug-resistance and reduce toxicity. This comprehensive review highlights the physicochemical properties of cisplatin and related platinum-based drugs, and discusses its uses either alone or in combination with other drugs for the treatment of various human cancers. A special attention is to be given to its molecular mechanisms of action, and its undesirable side effects.