Systemic anticancer drugs

Abstract

Chemotherapy has been the major contributor to the great improvements in treatment of childhood cancer in recent decades. Over the last decade there has been increased use of targeted therapies. The general and pharmacological principles of chemotherapy and some of the new targeted therapies used in children are outlined in this chapter. This is followed by a description of the indication, administration routes, side effects and elimination of systemic anti-cancer drugs used in recent or current clinical trials or protocols for paediatric malignancies in the UK.