Cytotoxic chemotherapy: clinical aspects

Cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs primarily damage proliferating cells and we now know the molecular target of most of the drugs in clinical use. Even so, non-specificity of cytotoxic agents is a major drawback and potential to damage normal tissues means that cure with chemotherapy is not often achieved. With advances in science, rational drug design is now becoming a reality, but these mechanism-driven, targeted agents are likely to be additions to, rather than substitutes for, conventional chemotherapy drugs. As cancer treatment becomes increasingly complex, the challenge for clinicians and scientists now is to manipulate our treatments to maximize benefit and minimize harm for the individual patient.