The four phases of the<unk> ell<unk> ycle. G1 – the initial growth phase. S – the phase in which DNA is synthesised. G2 – the second growth phase in preparation for<unk> ell division. M – mitosis; where the<unk> ell divides to produce two daughter<unk> ells that<unk> ontinue the<unk> ell<unk> ycle.<unk> ancer is the uncontrolled growth of<unk> ells<unk> oupled with malignant behaviour: invasion and metastasis (among other features). It is<unk> aused by the interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. These factors lead to accumulations of genetic mutations in oncogenes (genes that<unk> ontrol the growth rate of<unk> ells) and tumor suppressor genes (genes that help to prevent<unk> ancer), which gives<unk> ancer<unk> ells their malignant<unk> haracteristics, such as uncontrolled growth. In the broad sense, most<unk> utic drugs work by impairing mitosis <unk> ell division), effectively targeting fast-dividing<unk> ells. As these drugs<unk> ause damage to<unk> ells, they are termed<unk> ytotoxic. They prevent mitosis by various mechanisms including damaging DNA and inhibition of the<unk> ellular machinery involved in<unk> ell division. One theory as to why these drugs kill<unk> ancer<unk> ells is that they induce a programmed form of<unk> ell death known as apoptosis. As<unk>  affects<unk> ell division, tumors with high growth rates (such as acute myelogenous leukemia and the aggressive lymphomas, including Hodgkin's disease) are more sensitive to<unk> , as a larger proportion of the targeted<unk> ells are undergoing<unk> ell division at any time. Malignancies with slower growth rates, such as indolent lymphomas, tend to respond to<unk>  much more modestly. Heterogeneic tumours may also display varying sensitivities to<unk>  agents, depending on the subclonal populations within the tumor.<unk> ells from the immune system also make<unk> rucial<unk> ontributions to the antitumor effects of<unk> . For example, the<unk> utic drugs oxaliplatin and<unk> yclophosphamide<unk> an<unk> ause tumor<unk> ells to die in a way that is detectable by the immune system <unk> alled immunogenic<unk> ell death), which mobilizes immune<unk> ells with antitumor functions.<unk> utic drugs that<unk> ause<unk> ancer immunogenic tumor<unk> ell death<unk> an make unresponsive tumors sensitive to immune<unk> heckpoint therapy.
Chemotherapy
Irradiation
Radiation
Chemoradiotherapy
Hormone therapy
Radiation therapy
Adjuvant therapy
External beam radiotherapy