Is doxorubicin hydrochloride a chemotherapy drug? Introduction to drug categories and common combination regimens

Doxorubicin hydrochloride (Doxorubicin) is a typical chemotherapy drug and belongs to the anthracycline anti-tumor drug class. It inhibits the activity of topoisomerase II by inserting into the DNA double helix structure, thereby preventing the tumor cells DNA replication and transcription, and ultimately triggers cell apoptosis. Because its action directly targets rapidly dividing cells, doxorubicin is widely used in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors and hematological tumors.

Doxorubicin is commonly used for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and hematological malignancies such as lymphoma and acute leukemia. It has a broad anti-tumor spectrum, but due to the unique toxic and side effects of chemotherapy drugs, such as bone marrow suppression, cardiotoxicity and gastrointestinal reactions, it must be administered in strict accordance with the dosage and schedule during use, and regular monitoring must be carried out.

Clinically, doxorubicin is often used in combination with other anti-cancer drugs to improve efficacy. For example, in breast cancer, doxorubicin can be combined with cyclophosphamide (Cyclophosphamide) and paclitaxel (Paclitaxel) to form the AC-T regimen; in lymphoma, it can be combined with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone to form the CHOP regimen; in the treatment of ovarian cancer, it is often combined with cisplatin or carboplatin. Combined use of drugs can achieve synergy between different mechanisms of action, improve efficacy and reduce the incidence of drug resistance.

In combination chemotherapy, the dosage and use interval of doxorubicin need to be strictly adhered to to reduce the risk of myelosuppression and cardiotoxicity. Patients with cardiac insufficiency or previous heart disease should use it with caution and undergo cardiac function evaluation if necessary. Patients should regularly monitor blood routine, liver and kidney function and cardiac indicators during treatment, and adjust the dose or discontinue the drug in a timely manner based on clinical response. Through scientific combination and strict monitoring, doxorubicin remains one of the core drugs in chemotherapy for various tumors.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/