Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

When did we discover that the estrogen drug DES might cause problems?  It was in 1971 that doctors discovered a link between DES ( diethylstilbestrol ) and cancer of the female reproductive system. Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix was found in a very small number of young women whose mothers had taken DES type drugs during pregnancy .  What was the purpose of giving the drug to pregnant women?  During the 1940s and on into the 1960s the drug was given to women to prevent miscarriage. It was one of the first synthetic estrogen type hormones developed that was inexpensive and could be given by mouth. Many of the women who took it had lost babies, were spotting or bleeding, or had other complications such as diabetes .  Does the risk of cancer depend upon the amount of the DES type drug taken during pregnancy?  The amount does not seem to be the important factor. The exposure during the first 5 months of pregnancy seems to...

What are the different types of chemotherapy? Chemotherapy drugs are classified by their structure and function. They fall mainly into the following five classifications: • Alkylating agents are known for their chemical action, which interferes with cell division. They are called noncell cycle specific agents because they attack all cells in a tumor whether the cells are resting or dividing. They work by stopping or slowing down cell growth. • Antimetabolites are drugs which interfere with the cells' ability to replicate. These drugs are designed to starve cancer cells by interfering with vital life processes. They fool the cell by introducing the wrong building elements or blocking synthesis of the right ones. • Natural products include plant alkaloids and antibiotics. Plant alkaloids stop cell division at one of its phases. Antibiotics are made from molds like penicillin but are stronger and do not act in the same way as regular antibiotics. Rather, they interfere with c...