chemotherapeutic agent

chemotherapeutic agent

[-ther′əpyo̅o̅′tik]

any chemical used to treat cancer. It is usually used to refer to antineoplastic drugs.

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agent(s),

n 1. a person or product that causes action.
n 2. a person authorized to act for, or in place of, another.

agent, adrenergic blocking,

n a drug that blocks the action of the neurohormones norepinephrine and/or epinephrine or of adrenergic drugs at sympathetic neuroeffectors.

agent, adrenolytic blocking

n an uncertain term sometimes used in reference to adrenergic blocking agents.

agent, anesthetic,

n a drug that produces local or general loss of sensation.

agent, antianxiety,

n any medication prescribed to relieve anxiety disorder symptoms, primarily stress and insomnia. The most common forms are benzodiazepine derivatives.

agent, antiarrhythmic

n.pl a substance used to prevent or relieve an irregular rhythm of heartbeat. Also mistakenly called
antidysrhythmic.

agent, antigingivitis,

n compound that inhibits, controls, or kills organisms associated with the formation of gingivitis.

agent, antihypertensive,

n a medication used to lower elevated blood pressure (e.g., diuretics, beta-blockers, and vasodilators).

agent, antiinflammatory,

n a drug that reduces inflammation.

agent, antimanic,

n a substance used to treat various nervous system and psychiatric disorders; possible effects on fetal development include sluggishness, oxygen deficiency, and physical malformations.

agent, antiparasitic,

n an antimicrobe that specifically targets pathogenic microorganisms.

agent, blocking,

n an agent that occupies or usurps the receptor site normally occupied by a drug or a biochemical intermediary (e.g., acetylcholine or epinephrine).

agent, bonding,

n a substance used to bond fillings and tooth restorations to the tooth surface.

agent, chemotherapeutic

n a chemical of natural or synthetic origin used for its specific action against disease, usually against infection.

agent, cholinergic blocking

n 1. a drug that inhibits the action of acetylcholine or cholinergic drugs at the postganglionic cholinergic neuroeffectors.
n 2. an anticholinergic agent.

agent, cleaning,

n.pl an abrasive substance contained in toothpastes, gels, and powders that polishes teeth and aids in the removal of stains and plaque biofilm. See also abrasion, dentifrice.

agent, coloring,

n.pl any substance contained in toothpastes, gels, and powders purely to make the product more appealing.

agent, coupling,

n a substance or material that binds to both resin and reinforcement material and helps join them to make a composite.

agent, ganglionic blocking

n a drug that prevents passage of nerve impulses at the synapses between preganglionic and postganglionic neurons.

agent, myoneural blocking,

n a drug that prevents transmission of nerve impulses at the junction of the nerve and the muscle.

agent, oxidizing,

n an agent that provides oxygen in reaction with another substance or, in the broader and more definitive chemical sense, a chemical capable of accepting electrons and thereby decreasing the negative charge on an atom of the substance being oxidized.

agent, polishing,

n an abrasive that produces a smooth, lustrous finish.

agent, postganglionic sympathetic blocking,

n.pl a medication used to treat hypertension by blocking the release of the naturally occurring hormone norepinephrine.

agent, reducing,

n a category of chemicals used in film processing that brings out the gray tones of an image by creating black metallic silver from silver halide crystals.

agent, wetting,

n any agent that will reduce the surface tension of water. Generally used in investing wax patterns.

Whitening agent, before and after.

agent, whitening,

n a bleaching substance applied to teeth to lighten their appearance.

agents, antiadrenergic, centrally acting

n.pl antihypertensive drugs used to lower blood pressure, specifically those that operate by stimulating α-receptors in the central nervous system and arterioles.

agents, antianginal,

n one of several types of medication used to treat heart disease; alleviates pain associated with angina by lowering blood pressure during systole. See also vasodilator.

agents, oxygenating,

n.pl the substances, such as hydrogen peroxide, that, when used as mouthrinses, release oxygen into gingival tissues and reduce inflammation. The process has not proved to reduce the bacteria causing the inflammation. Long-term use may cause tissue damage.

agents, sympathetic,

n.pl the medications that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system by imitating the actions of naturally occurring norepinephrine and epinephrine. They may be used to treat cardiac arrest, nasal congestion, asthma, glaucoma, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and may cause anxiety, loss of appetite, and arrythmias. Also called
adrenergic agents.

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chemotherapeutic agent

An agent used to treat CA, administered in 'regimens'-one or more 'cycles' that combine 3 or more agents over wks; CAs are toxic to any cell with a high rate of proliferation–the CA itself, the GI tract–causing N&V, BM–cytopenias, and hair—alopecia Examples Busulphan, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, MTX, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, melphalan, vincristine, vinblastine, chlorambucil. See Immunosuppressive agents.